Stealth tax vote

A template press release for areas with a Conservative MP who voted for the Autumn Statement this week, including years of stealth taxes.


A full list of MPs who voted for the stealth tax

LOCAL Conservative MP under fire after voting for stealth tax rise

The Liberal Democrats have criticised Conservative MP [INSERT LOCAL MP] for voting to hike taxes for people on low and middle incomes this week.

The vote on Tuesday was in favour of the freezing income tax thresholds, which are the point at which someone starts paying the basic rate of tax at £12,571. This will add to the tax bill of anyone earning above this amount and drag more low earners into paying tax. By 2028, a basic rate taxpayer will be paying around £566 more a year than if the threshold had been increased in line with inflation.

The Liberal Democrats have labelled the decision to hike taxes on families as “unfair” and “unaffordable” for people across our area. They have argued that the government should reverse tax cuts for banks, which are estimated to cost a staggering £18 billion over the next five years, and use the money to help hard-pressed families and pensioners instead.

Liberal Democrat Councillor [INSERT NAME] said:

“MP NAME has let our community down. While the Conservatives government clobbers low and middle earners and starves our public services, they are disgracefully slashing taxes for the big banks.

“The Conservatives have trashed the economy and are now making families in our area pick up the bill.

“I know many people in PLACE, who are already struggling, and will find these huge tax rises unfair and unaffordable. The public will be rightly furious that the cost for the Government’s incompetence and chaos is falling on them.

“The Liberal Democrats have put forward plan after plan to help people with bills, housing costs and collapsing public services. We will stand up for people in PLACE, who are sick of endless chaos and incompetence under the Conservatives.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

Full list of Conservative MPs who voted in favour of the tax hikes

Motion that was voted on in full:

Basic rate limit and personal allowance for tax years 2026-27 and 2027-28 That (notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the practice of the House relating to the matters that may be included in Finance Bills) provision may be made for each of the following amounts to remain at their current amounts for the tax years 2026-27 and 2027-28:

(a) the amount specified in section 10(5) of the Income Tax Act 2007 (basic rate limit), and

(b) the amount specified in section 35(1) of that Act (personal allowance).

An extra 2.6 million taxpayers will be dragged into 40p tax by 2028, according to the OBR (p. 33).

Using the OBR’s inflation forecasts, the Liberal Democrats have calculated what the income tax Personal Allowance and Higher Rate threshold would be each year, if it weren’t for the Income Tax threshold freeze. Based on that, we can calculate that a basic rate taxpayer in 2028 will pay £566 extra compared to a scenario where the personal allowance had been uprated in line with inflation.