Campaigning against the VAT bombshell
9th July 2010
Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, Ed Milband and David Miliband will be at Eastleigh market tomorrow campaigning alongside Southampton MPs John Denham and Alan Whitehead and local Labour Party members. The leadership hopefuls will be petitioning shoppers to urge Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne to vote against the Tories’ plan to raise VAT to 20%.
During the election campaign senior Lib Dems famously posed in front of a “Tory VAT bombshell” and condemned Tory plans to increase VAT to 20%. However, since going into coalition with the Conservatives in May the Lib Dems have U-turned and now seemingly support the tax increase.
Before the election, Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne said: ““We will not have to raise VAT to deliver our promises…Let me repeat that: Our plans do not require a rise in VAT.’ The Liberal Democrat MP also described VAT as a ‘regressive tax.’
John Denham, Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, said:
“It’s great to see Labour’s leadership candidates out campaigning with us. The Lib Dems have been shameless in their U-turn over supporting the VAT increase. I know lots of people who voted Lib Dem are furious that the Lib Dems have put power before principles and backed the Tories. Chris Huhne must keep his promises and vote against the VAT increase.”
Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said:
“The VAT hike is unfair on families, bad for business- and the Lib Dems campaigned against it before the election. Some Labour supporters voted Lib Dem to stop the raising VAT. They’ve been betrayed. We’re here to encourage all Liberal Democrat MPs to stand by their promises and stop this regressive tax rise in its tracks.”
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