Agenda item

Income Tax

It was moved by Councillor Robert Frost, seconded by Councillor Andrew Sangar, that this Council:-

(a)       notes the Liberal Democrat policy of raising the income tax threshold from £6,475 to £10,000, to which the now-Prime Minister said “we cannot afford it”;

(b)       confirms that the Liberal Democrat plan for a £700 tax cut has been surpassed and an £800 tax cut for 27 million ordinary workers has been delivered, including for 195,000 people in Sheffield;

(c)        compares this tax cut for ordinary workers with the record of the Labour Party, who scrapped the 10p tax, and the priorities of the Conservative Party, who wanted more tax cuts for the wealthiest; and

(d)       commends Liberal Democrat action in Government, which is helping to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Ben Curran, seconded by Councillor Martin Lawton, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the substitution of the following words therefor:-

(a)       welcomes any moves to give much needed support to people on low incomes, however, regrets that people are worse off under this Government and wages are down £1,600 a year due to the Government’s failure to tackle the cost of living crisis;

(b)       regrets that at the same time as people on low and average incomes are losing out, people earning over £150,000 have been singled out for a tax cut and reiterates its opposition to the ‘millionaires tax cut’; 

(c)        is disappointed that the Government has chosen its flagship budget announcement as an increase of the ISA limit to £15,000, at a time when workers on the minimum wage and the living wage won’t even earn £15,000;

(d)       believes this is evidence that the Government is not serious about helping people on low incomes;

(e)       welcomes the policy of the Labour Party to reintroduce the 10p tax rate which will give support to people on low incomes; 

(f)        further supports the Labour Party policy of introducing a mansion tax on high value properties and regrets that the Liberal Democrats have failed to deliver this policy in Government;

(g)       regrets that this Government cannot tackle the cost of living crisis because they do not believe there is one and recalls that this is best highlighted through their opposition to Labour’s energy price freeze policy; and

(h)       believes it is unbelievable of the main opposition group to celebrate the record of the Government on living standards when people are worse off and believes that this is just a further example of how out of touch they are.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       welcomes any moves to give much needed support to people on low incomes, however, regrets that people are worse off under this Government and wages are down £1,600 a year due to the Government’s failure to tackle the cost of living crisis;

(b)       regrets that at the same time as people on low and average incomes are losing out, people earning over £150,000 have been singled out for a tax cut and reiterates its opposition to the ‘millionaires tax cut’; 

(c)        is disappointed that the Government has chosen its flagship budget announcement as an increase of the ISA limit to £15,000, at a time when workers on the minimum wage and the living wage won’t even earn £15,000;

(d)       believes this is evidence that the Government is not serious about helping people on low incomes;

(e)       welcomes the policy of the Labour Party to reintroduce the 10p tax rate which will give support to people on low incomes; 

(f)        further supports the Labour Party policy of introducing a mansion tax on high value properties and regrets that the Liberal Democrats have failed to deliver this policy in Government;

(g)       regrets that this Government cannot tackle the cost of living crisis because they do not believe there is one and recalls that this is best highlighted through their opposition to Labour’s energy price freeze policy; and

(h)       believes it is unbelievable of the main opposition group to celebrate the record of the Government on living standards when people are worse off and believes that this is just a further example of how out of touch they are.