John
McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to Philip Hammond’s
refusal at Treasury Questions today to rule out cutting the top rate of tax
from 45p to 40p in next week Budget, said:
“It
is alarming that the Chancellor is happy to admit he is prepared to continue
with brutal cuts to disability payments next week, but he won’t rule out
further unfair tax giveaways to a wealthy few such as cutting the top rate of
tax. When he is slashing public services in this parliament how can he not rule
out another handout to the wealthy?
“Philip
Hammond has shown that he is prepared to follow on with George Osborne’s failed
austerity cuts, and it looks like he could go even further than his predecessor
with the tax giveaways to a wealthy few – paid for on the backs of the disabled
and the poor.
“It
is very simple, if the Chancellor has no plans to cut the top rate of tax to
40p in this parliament then he can simply put the record straight.”
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