By Cllr Clive Jones
Under today’s Conservative government we have the highest level of taxation since 1948.
Incredibly though, this was not acknowledged by the Conservatives in last weeks Autumn statement, who continued to claim that they are the party of low taxation.
The reality is that, thanks to their mismanagement of the economy, not only are we paying more tax than at any time since the end of the second world war, but our public services are also crumbling due to lack of investment.
Why are people on low incomes paying more tax?
Conservatives tax changes mean that an extra 4 million of the lowest paid will be paying tax. This is an attack from the Conservatives on the lowest paid workers in the country.
Three million more people will now move to paying the 40% rate of tax, including teachers, NHS healthcare professionals and members of the police service. They shouldn’t be paying these high rates of tax. They should be allowed to keep more of their hard-earned income.
When the Lib Dems were in government, we increased the starting tax threshold from £5,600 to £10,000 taking millions of low paid workers out paying income tax.
We must remember it is the Conservatives who are making us pay more in tax whilst at the same time allowing other wealthy people to pay a much lower proportion of their income in tax.
Standing up for our pensioners
In the Coalition government the Liberal Democrats insisted that the “Triple lock” on pensions was introduced. We did this against much opposition from the Conservatives.
The triple lock says that every year pensions will rise by the rate of inflation, 2.5% or the average rate of increases in wages, whichever is the greater.
Thanks to the Lib Dems’ triple lock most state pensions will rise next April by £900 a year.
The Conservatives paused the triple lock last year, keeping pension increases low, and I don’t trust them not to do that again if they get the opportunity.
Support your local traders and retailers
Businesses are struggling across the country because of the cost-of-living crisis. A crisis that has seen inflation reach 11%. That has seen mortgage rates increase and an extra £500 a month in interest payments added to many mortgages in Wokingham (£6,000 a year) Energy prices have more than doubled and they are now set to rise by a further 5% in January. Food bills have jumped a massive 30% in the last couple of years.
All this means the average household has over £7,000 less to spend in our local economy. If you are able, please support local traders and retailers as much as you can. The people working in these businesses are our friends and neighbours and they need our support.
What was missing from the Autumn statement?
There was no mention of tackling the crisis in adult social care, despite former Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson promising this would be a priority for them.
There was no money for the NHS. No money to fulfil Boris Johnson’s promise in the 2019 General election to build a new Royal Berkshire Hospital. This much-needed project really has stalled, and it seems unlikely that the government will be ready to do very much until 2030. I will continue to campaign to get this moving. We will all be very pleased when real progress is made.
Make this John Redwood’s last election as our MP
The Conservatives have demolished trust in our government. This is what residents are telling me when I talk with them at the door.
They tell me they can’t support the Conservatives anymore. In the last five weeks I have found this in Norreys, Hawkedon, Hillside, Finchampstead, Maiden Erlegh, Twyford, Charvil, Wargrave, Hurst, Winnersh, Emmbrook, Spencers Wood and Wescott.
Once again, I would like to thank everyone for their very warm welcome and encouragement to continue campaigning to make sure that Wokingham has its first Liberal Democrat MP at the next General Election.
Lifelong Conservatives say they don’t recognise their old party and they cannot support them anymore. And thank you to the Labour supporters who tell me they will support me in order to beat the Conservatives. All this support is very much appreciated.
Please do not hesitate to contact either me or one of our Liberal Democrat team if you need our assistance. clive.jones@wokinghamlibdems.org
Clive Jones is the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Wokingham
