Is it acceptable for the government to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT in the Budget, despite promising not to?
Labour's 2024 manifesto promised not to increase National Insurance, the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, or VAT, and none of these rates has been raised. The November 2025 Budget extended the income tax and NI threshold freeze to 2031, which the then Chancellor accepted broke the income tax pledge. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey say they will honour the pledges in the 28 October 2026 Budget, while the IFS warns of a hole of around £35bn.
8 Opinions
Manifestos need to be made legally binding, not give them even more freedom to lie their way into power and then take a giant dump on the electorate when they feel like it.
If they can just drop their manifesto promise because they feel like it or it no longer suits them then what is the point in putting a manifesto out in the first place because we won't ever get what we voted for if they're allowed to change it willy nilly to suit them!
If politicians can just bin off their core tax pledges the moment things get difficult, voters have no reason to believe anything in a manifesto.
The manifesto a government is elected on should be a binding contract between them and the electorate. If a government can’t deliver it should resign and call new elections.
Tax the banks, tax the rich, tax the polluters
No, tax is theft. The state become a racket gang, trying to increase tribute from taxpayers and offering next to nothing to the same group in return.