A 1p / 2p raise to income tax should lawfully trigger a general election

[TesChique]

There are vague promises in manifestos, and there are those which are explicit and should be binding except in exceptional circumstances (war etc)

If labour, or any party reneges on a core manifesto promise it should lawfully trigger a general election

They have lied to the public.

AIBU to think we need to see this change in law?

The country and finances are in a huge mess. I didn’t vote labour, but appreciated the country needed a change from Tory leadership, and maybe they would surprise me this time around. Well they have, they’ve surprised me with how shambolic they’ve been. U turn after U turn, lies, deception.

We cannot be spending money on projects all around the world and in the UK when ‘working pipple’ are struggling.

I don’t think there’s anything we can do until the next election, and then Labour are finished for a very long time.

But I can’t imagine anyone would only have CG income. If they are making money through selling investments they’d also have investment income which would attract income tax, even if not paid via PAYE. PAYE is just a tax collection process for employees. Lots of people pay income tax on other income via a tax return either in addition to, or instead of that paid through PAYE.

I hate this kind of ridiculous, childish thinking.

A manifesto isn’t and shouldn’t be a straitjacket, etched in stone like the Ten Commandments. This is real life and real politics, they have to
govern based on the circumstances.

They haven’t “lied to the public” and if you think they have, you’ll have the opportunity to bin them off in four years time.

Repeated general elections every year or so just leads to chaos. They need to have the opportunity to implement a programme and for there to be time for us to start to see the impact.

Grow up.

Promises. pledges and manifestos are never legally binding, pity...

Most politicians have no track record for governing or running a country (or a business)

Think about it the next time you vote, you only have their words to go off....why would you trust any of them?

Could be carried interest. That’s taxed as a capital gain and could be the bulk of compensation. Yes there’d be some income tax but the majority could be by CG that is taken as and when favourable from a tax point of view.

@AllJoyAndNoFun the rich tend to pay less tax because of the structures of their finances, not all but many.

"the average rate of tax paid by people who received one million pounds in taxable income and gains was just 35 per cent: the same as someone earning £100,000. But one in four of these paid 45 per cent – close to the top rate – whilst another quarter paid less than 30 per cent overall. One in ten paid just 11 per cent—the same as someone earning £15,000. The rich, it seems, are not all in it together."

why do you want a general election? So Reform can get in???

grow up.

They all do it though. You'd be having an election every 6 months.

I do think it's a terrible idea, there will be no growth as people are just increasingly hit by rising prices, higher taxes, wage stagnation.

More shops and cafes, etc will go bust. More jobs will be lost. I really don't see how long term this can be helpful.

Are you seriously oblivious to the last 14 years!!!!

Hell Brexit was built on complete lies and we’ve only just started having to live with the damage that caused.

Can we have another Brexit vote then please?

Starmer has been in since July 2024!! A substantial amount of time to create change. The 14 years thing has been done to death, I shudder every time I hear it. 🙄

There should be a ge for many reasons with this govt !

I agree. And I feel the same about calls for the prime minister to resign all the time. Sunak had barely been in 2 minutes before people were saying he should probably go, based on nothing but a general dislike of his policies (as if they’d like the next Tory leader’s policies any better!)

😂
Not sure you’re entirely educated regarding the fact that EVERY government does this.

Spot on!

So an increase in taxes should trigger an election but you were all happy to allow huge benefit cuts and cuts that affected the vulnerable?

Don't be a tit OP, we'd end up having more general elections than hot dinners.

They haven’t lied but the commitment should not have been made.

It is the much repeated fully costed, fully funded, we will not raise taxes, without even a tiny bit of “unless circumstances change or what we find when in government is different”. Many saw that huge and unnecessary flaw in labours campaign. They would have still won the election without having to do that, albeit by a smaller margin.

Now, if taxes rise, I don’t see how Labour will be able to regain trust and they will be politically hammered. As in business and life generally, trust is massive.

Brenda from Bristol would be even more exasperated.

They shouldn't have chickened out of reforming benefits. No other country has our mad system.

No other country has our mad system.

Agree

So an increase in taxes should trigger an election but you were all happy to allow huge benefit cuts and cuts that affected the vulnerable?

I don't believe it should trigger an election but means testing winter fuel is the right thing to do & other benefits do need looking at.

Only foolish people would have trusted Labour not to lie. I knew they would mess up economy and raise taxes because Labour refuse to curb spending and stop strikes by throwing money at the problem.

I mean I don't love Labour and have been unimpressed but they have brought down waiting lists considerably already. The country was fucked by the Tories. You can't expect to be fixed in 18 months. Unless you don't understand how governments work.

Income tax should rise, it's much more sensible than tinkering around the edges.

Do people want better services or not? It seems not. So stop complaining when you can't get a GP appointment or your car hits a pothole then.

As for being a laughing stock why do people think other countries are remotely interested in what goes on here? They have their own problems to deal with.

Hopefully they’ll be eviscerated for lying.

A reminder of last budget

"But I have made an important choice today to keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto. So I say to working people, I will not increase your national insurance, I will not increase your VAT, and I will not increase your income tax.
Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices that I am making today. That is a promise made and a promise fulfilled"

Reeves, '24 Autumn Budget.