A Labour government will “tax fairly, spend wisely, and get our economy firing on all cylinders” Rachel Reeves has told the party conference.
Labour’s shadow chancellor insisted there were no plans to increase income tax, a day after Keir Starmer said “nothing is off the table”.
Ahead of her big speech to the Brighton conference Reeves told Times Radio: “Keir and I are both very clear, we have no plans to increase income tax and neither of us want to increase income tax, it is not on our agenda.
“The only people who are increasing taxes for working people are the Tories with their jobs tax that comes in next year that hits ordinary working families and struggling businesses."
Reeves added: "“That’s not our approach, we would ask those with the broadest shoulders – particularly those who get their incomes not from going out to work but from stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties.
“But Keir and I are not planning to increase income tax, we are both very clear about that.”
The conference has so far been dominated by a row over Starmer’s plans to change the way leaders and MPs are selected, the shadow chancellor attempted to set the policy agenda.
The Labour leader managed to get a watered-down version of the plans passed by conference, despite fierce opposition from left-wingers.
Reeves said Labour planned to ramp up a digital services tax on online giants which do not pay the ordinary business rates that high street shops have to bear.
Business rates in Scotland are set separately from the UK but Reeves said that in future the funding for business rates cuts would come from the global minimum corporation tax being championed by US president Joe Biden.
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