Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The hypocrisy at the heart of the Conservative party

The FT today kicks apart the Tories' plans to give tax cuts to married couples:

The Tories would need to increase green taxes significantly to fund the estimated £3.2bn ($6.3bn) annual cost of a transferable tax allowance for all couples that was recommended by the Conservative’s policy group on the family. But the opposition party has recently attacked government plans to raise petrol duty and car tax.

..Which is why Cameron falls far short of a commitment on the tax relief:

“With the tax advantages we’d like to give to marriage, we’ve not yet said exactly what it is or how we would do it."

I also note that there is a Tory rebellion, led by Andrew Tyrie, against the Climate Change bill.

This is David Cameron's Conservative party all over:
  • Making "grandstand" promises to cut married tax allowances but not actually promising anything.
  • Even if they did promise something they'd have to increase green taxes to do it.
  • They're opposing green taxes such as petrol duty and car tax rises
  • A significant part of the party has not yet accepted Climate Change as something which needs radical action
Which ever way you look at it, there is a gaping hole at the heart of Cameron's Conservative party edifice. Some might call it rank hypocrisy.

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