Rosemary Bland, Green

Green PPC (North East Hertfordshire),

Rosemary Bland's reply

"Thank you for your email.

My answer to all three questions is a resounding YES! These are all strongly enshrined in Green Party policy".

Best Regards,

Rosemary Bland

---

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Joanie Willett, MK

Mebyon Kernow PPC (North Cornwall),

Joanie Willett's reply

"In response to your questions, Yes, Yes and Yes.

It is morally wrong that the wealthy pay much less as a proportion of thier incomes than poor people, and I argue that changing this system is a matter of social justice".

Many thanks,

Joanie Willett

---

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Mark Chiverton, Labour

Labour PPC (Isle of Wight),
Mark Chiverton's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "I agree in principle with this approach".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Definitely yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes."

Kristian Chapman, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Aberdeen North),

Kristian Chapman's reply

"Many thanks for your email. I am in full agreement that the tax system in the UK is simply unfair. I, as a Liberal Democrat, fully support the tax policies outlined in our manifesto which will raise the threshold to £10000, close the loopholes for the wealthy and private corporations and start taxing the banks, not the people. At the moment, the poorest 1/5th of our society pays a greater percentage of their income in tax than the wealthiest 1/5th, this is a national disgrace in my opinion. We need a serious reform of our tax system, not minor adjustments that favour the wealthy. We can not make it out of this recession without restoring fairness to the heart of our politics and our economy and that is what the Liberal Democrats are determined to do".

Kindest Regards

Kristian Chapman

John Hein, Liberal

Liberal PPC (Edinburgh North and Leith),
John Hein's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "We'd go for a tax credit system (starting rate £12K)"

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

John Hein
http://www.liberal.org.uk/

Jonathan Essex, Green

Green PPC (Reigate),
Jonathan Essex's reply

"Dear Fairer Tax campaign,

In reply to your questions below

Q1 - Yes, this is the same figure (Additional Rate: Over £100,000 - 50%) as in the Green Party manifesto
Q2 - Yes.
Q3 - Yes.

All the best in your campaign".

Best Regards
Jonathan Essex
Green candidate for Reigate

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Iain Maclennan, Green

Green PPC (Portsmouth North),
Iain Maclennan's endorsement & reply

"I would strongly support these policies in principle, although Green Party policy proposes maintaining the tax free personal allowance at the current level of £6,475 and raising the lower National Insurance limit to the same amount. So... with this small caveat, in answer to your Qs:

Q1. YES
Q2. YES
Q3. YES

Green Party policy on taxation is summarised thus:

• Introduce the new higher rate of income
tax at 50% for incomes above £100,000,
raising £2.3bn pa.

• Abolish the upper limit for National
Insurance contributions, raising £9.1bn
in 2010.

• Help lower earners by raising the lower
National Insurance limit to the personal
allowance rate (which is £6,475 a year,
or £124.52 a week), costing £3.9bn.

• Help lower earners by reintroducing the
10% tax band and the 22p basic rate,
costing £14.9bn.

• Increase the main rate of Corporation Tax
from 28% back to 30% and reduce the small
firms rate back to 20%, altogether raising
£1.4bn.

• Raise the Capital Gains Tax rate from 18%
to the recipient’s highest income tax rate
(that is 22%, 40% or 50%), raising £1bn

Addressing inequality, including global inequality, is at the heart of Green Party policy. Social injustice is inextricably linked with the causes of the financial crisis and climate change, and unless we take decisive and effective action to introduce a fairer taxation system everyone, both rich and poor, will be worse off. Unequal societies invariably have more crime, more substance misuse, more people in prison, more insecurity, more premature death, lower average birth weights, worse infant mortality etc than more equal societies. Evidence shows that even rich people in more equal societies are better off than rich people in more unequal societies. A fair, transparent, progressive taxation system will ensure that we make real and long-overdue progress towards narrowing the obscene and ever-widening gap between the best and worse off in society".

Dr Iain Maclennan

Julia Erskine, Green

Green PPC (Tynemouth),

Julia Erskine's reply

 "As a representative of the Green Party, I endorse what I know about your campaign so far. I would hope to help our party and your campaign to make great improvements in the tax system to make it fairer and help to reduce the hardship that the current inequalities cause. The Green Party manifesto is based on the need to reduce inequality in all areas of our society, and restructuring the economic system of this country".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer - "Personally, in principle yes, although in our manifesto we talk about helping low earners by re-introducing the 10% tax band and the 22p basic rate".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Definitely, introducing the higher rate of income tax at 50% for incomes above £100,000 is in our manifesto. Also abolishing the upper limit for National Insurance contributions".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?

Answer - "Yes, we have several tax intentions for reform in our manifesto. See http://greenparty.org.uk and go to our policies pages for further information".

Julia Erskine

Green Party Candidate for Tynemouth Constituency

Steve Score, TUSC

TUSC PPC (Leicester West),

Steve Score's endorsement & reply

1. "Yes, I do agree with the policy of reducing tax on the lowest paid and increasing tax on the rich and your specific proposals. However, I would go further. The PCS trade Union estimate that £100 billion is lost in tax because of avoidance by rich individuals and companies. These loopholes such as Non-domicile status, non-residential status, and the use of offshore tax havens should all be closed. But I also believe that while we continue to have a system run in the interests of big business, where the wealth of the big companies can control the main political parties, we will always struggle to get ‘fairness’. If the top 150 companies and financial institutions were publicly owned and democratically controlled, we could use their resources to make a better life for everyone".

2. "Yes the rich should pay more and the poor less. The divide between rich and poor has continued to rise under Tory and Labour governments. The taxation system has became increasingly regressive at the same time that the super rich have vastly increased their wealth at the expense of the majority. Taxes such as VAT hit the lowest paid the most, and there is a prospect of it being increased whichever of the three main parties come to power. Whatever candidates from the main parties may say before an election (with “no commitment to act upon the policy”), their parties will increase this divide. They all have a policy of reducing the public deficit caused by the bankers and economic crisis by making working people pay and slashing public services".

3. "Yes, I pledge to campaign for improvements in the taxation system inside or outside of parliament, alongside continuing to campaign for a socialist alternative to the pro-rich parties"!

Steve Score

Kat Deacon, Green

Green PPC (Milton Keynes South),

Kat Deacon's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer "Absolutely – The Green Party would also re-introduce the 10% tax band".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes – The Green Party would tax 50% on all earnings over £100,000".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

Answer - "Yes we do – the inequality gap needs to be addressed. With the top 1% wealthiest households owning 20% of Britain’s wealth, yet millions of pensioners and kids living in poverty, this needs to be balanced out to make a fairer society".

Joseph Healy, Green

Green PPC (Vauxhall),

Joseph Healy's endorsement & reply

"I completely agree with this policy and the 50% tax rate on incomes over £100k is in our manifesto and I mention it at all hustings. I pledge to fight for tax reform also".

Solidarity

Joseph Healy

Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Vauxhall

Jonathan Hornett, Green

Green PPC (Wellingborough),

Jonathan Hornett's endorsement & reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign Team,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me, I have answered the questions as below":

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "In principle I do agree with the policy, we need to revolutionise the tax system so that the poor are better off, people on benefits actually benefit from going out to work and that small businesses are supported. The problem at the moment is that high earners continue to earn more and proportionately pay less tax, as is true with large company’s paying less than small businesses proportionately. I’m outraged that the large parties are all in league with this status quo. Let’s get people represented and not just large business and vote for a change".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes, I believe that the rich and the poor should pay a fair rate of tax after a guaranteed citizens income. Tax should be applied after this and thus the more that you earn the more tax you pay".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "I pledge to campaign for a complete tax reform at the next parliament and income tax would be part of this. The Green Party wants a fair society and reforming the tax system is fundamental to this".

"You can count on my support and can note my response as an endorsement of the Fairer Tax Campaign".

Jon Lucas, Green

Green PPC (Filton and Bradley Stoke),

Jon Lucas' endorsement & reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign,

I am happy to support your principles. A fair and just society needs a taxation system that encourages a more equitable level of income".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Best wishes,

Jon Lucas,

Green Party candidate for Filton and Bradley Stoke

Alan Francis, Green

Green PPC (Milton Keynes North),
Alan Francis' reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes. Additional Rate: Over £100,000 (50%) is in our manifesto".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Martin Pierce, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (West Ham),
Martin Pierce's endorsement & reply

"The principle of the tax changes you have set out is quite similar to the Lib Dems’ policy, although obviously I would support what’s in our manifesto. I trust you would agree it’s pretty close.

I agree with the principle that the rich should pay more tax and the poor pay less tax. I don’t believe the tax system should try to create total equality of income but it can, and should, be progressive and therefore help redistribute wealth and power, to alleviate the worst excesses of inequality.

Our manifesto includes a clear commitment to reform the income tax system and this is a policy that we intend to pursue in the next parliament. A Liberal Democrat Government would put in place the necessary tax changes in order to raise the personal allowance to £10,000 for the start of financial year 2011-12".

Martin Pierce
Liberal Democrat candidate for West Ham

Alistair Stevens, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (High Peak),

Alistair Stevens' endorsement & reply

"I agree with the thesis underlying the Fairer Tax Campaign, that the rich should pay more tax and the less well off should pay less tax. In this regard, it is Liberal Democrat policy to raise the tax free personal allowance to £10,000 for all tax payers. This would be paid for in part by taxing capital gains at the same rate as income, overcoming a tax loophole exploited by some high income individuals, and limiting tax relief on pensions to the basic rate - both measures supporting your policy: "The rich should pay more and the poor should pay less". I believe that a single allowance for the vast majority of tax payers would be less complicated and less likely to be subject to mistakes than your idea of having two different tax free allowances depending on income. Therefore, I wholeheartedly answer ‘yes’ to your questions 2 & 3, although I differ with you in some details of how to achieve a fairer tax system".

Yours sincerely

Alistair Stevens

http://www.highpeaklibdems.org.uk/

---

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Tom Baldwin, TUSC

TUSC PPC (Bristol South),

Tom Baldwin's endorsement & reply

1) "The income tax system should be reformed to make it fairer. The changes you have proposed seem to be fairer then the current system. I'm not sure they would be the exact method by which we would change it but the principle of the rich paying more and the poor less is absolutely something I agree with".

2) "Yes, the rich should pay more tax than the poor. This would mean in my opinion not just reform of the income tax system to make it more progressive. I would also like to see a rise in corporation tax, the tax paid on the profits of big companies. I also think the tax loopholes should be closed and the wealthy tax avoiders made to pay their share. However even the most progressive system of taxation can only go so far in redistributing wealth. The owners of big companies make their money from the exploitation of the people they employ, I would support taking the banks and big businesses that dominate the economy out of private hands and into public ownership. This would mean they could be run under deomcratic control and the profits that currently line the pockets of a handful of super-rich could be put back into society as a whole".

3) "A more progressive tax system is part of what my party stands for and I will continue to campaign for this after the election, whether elected or not".

Yours,

Tom Baldwin

Alastair Whitelaw, Sc Green

Scottish Green PPC (Glasgow Central),

Alastair Whitelaw's reply

"Dear Colleagues,

Your proposals are actually very similar to those of both the Scottish Green Party and the Green Party of England and Wales so I am happy to support them. However we complement our proposals for progressive taxation with a national income scheme to replace pensions and benefits.

I would personally be a bit tougher and have an even higher rate of 80p per pound for income above 200,000 GBP or perhaps a quarter of a million/year but I must stress that this goes further than Party policy.

The serious effects of the extreme inequality in this country are now well documented and a tax system in which the wealthy pay an appropriate proportion of their income has to be part of the remedy".

Kindest regards,

Alastair Whitelaw,

Janet Ryder, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC (Clwyd South),
Janet Ryder's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer - "Yes I do agree with the aformentioned policy. The gap between high wage earners and the low paid is growing and Plaid Cymru would like to see the introduction of a Maximum Wage bill as well linking the highest salaries to those of the lowest in any company".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes I do and Plaid Cymru would like to see a new tax rate of 50% on those earning over £100,000".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?

Answer - "Yes I do pledge to campaign for Income tax reform in the next". Parliament".

Kevin Hind, Labour

Labour PPC (Bury St Edmunds),
Kevin Hind's endorsement & reply

"I am quite happy to endorse your proposals".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes - and I also believe there is growing support in the country to make the rich take more responsibility for the society they live in and from which they reap the benefits".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?

Answer - "Yes".

Nick Clegg, Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat leader (Sheffield Hallam),

Nick Clegg's reply

"I think it is appalling that under this Labour government, the gap between the richest and the poorest in our society has grown so much. While income inequality has remained about the same, wealth inequality – shares and property - has increased. The effect of this on the poorest members of our society is compounded by having one of the most unfair tax systems in the developed world. The wealthiest benefit from special loopholes and the rest of us end up paying more. Labour has failed to make our tax system fair, while the Conservatives’ top priority is tax cuts for millionaires.

Liberal Democrats want to make our tax and benefits system fairer, so that everyone whether young or old can afford to get by. We have plans for the most radical, far-reaching tax reforms in a generation. We will cut taxes for millions of working people and pensioners, paid for by making sure polluters and the very wealthy pay their fair share.

I have a strong belief in the importance of this issue and am happy to respond to your questions:

Firstly I would like to offer my support for the policy you suggest and assure you that this is one of the key areas we would focus on if we were elected. We would stop people paying any income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. This would stop 3.4 million low earners paying any income tax at all and would put £700 back into the pocket of low and middle income earners.

In response to your second question I wish to reassure you that the Liberal Democrats will continue to support the 50% tax on high earners as well as continuing to campaign for the policy I have made reference to in the previous question.

In answer to your final question I simply wish to reiterate the points I have made previously and offer you my assurance that if I am re-elected as MP I will continue to campaign for income tax reform and a fairer and more equal society.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact me on this very important matter".

Yours sincerely

Nick Clegg

David Blunkett, Labour

Labour MP (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)

David Blunkett's reply

"I’m generally in support of the direction which your tax proposals lead us – how could I not be when I'm in favour of fair taxation? But the proposition of having a differential allowance for those earning less than £18k is not a practical proposition. It takes no account of the tax credits system (which is a reverse income tax, after all) or the fact that many people earning just under £18k a year actually bobble up into the £18k earnings level with overtime - and sometimes with bonuses!"

David Blunkett

Simon Clement-Jones, LD

Lib Dem PPC (Sheffield Heeley),

Simon Clement-Jones' reply

"The answer to your three questions are simply yes, yes and yes. I think it is appalling that under this Labour government, the gap between the richest and the poorest in our society has grown so much. While income inequality has remained about the same, wealth inequality – shares and property - has increased. The effect of this on the poorest members of our society is compounded by having one of the most unfair tax systems in the developed world. The wealthiest benefit from special loopholes and the rest of us end up paying more. Labour has failed to make our tax system fair, while the Conservatives’ top priority is tax cuts for millionaires.

Liberal Democrats want to make our tax and benefits system fairer, so that everyone whether young or old can afford to get by. We have plans for the most radical, far-reaching tax reforms in a generation. We will cut taxes for millions of working people and pensioners, paid for by making sure polluters and the very wealthy pay their fair share. We would stop people paying any income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. This would stop 3.4 million low earners paying any income tax at all and would put £700 back into the pocket of low and middle income earners. Our proposed ‘mansion tax’ directly shifts wealth from wealthier to helps us to shift taxation away from people on low and middle incomes – on its own, it could shift hundreds of thousands low-paid workers out of income tax altogether.

We will also boost the state pension by restoring the link with earnings growth, to ensure pensioner income can keep pace and we will crack down on unfair bills. To ensure that the living standards of pensioners improve at the same pace as the rest of the population we will increase the state pension by average earnings, prices or 2.5% whichever is higher. The Government is only committed to increasing the pension in line with earnings from 2012, not the higher of earnings or prices. The Government’s own projections show it expects earnings to increase at a slower rate than prices in 2011-12 which will mean the pension will be cut in real terms and pensioners will feel the pinch".

Gareth Roberts, Green

Green PPC (Sheffield Heeley)

Gareth Roberts' reply

"I'm very happy to give my support to the Fairer Tax Campaign - I absolutely agree with the proposals you put forward. The Green Party would reform tax so that it would be much fairer for the low paid, and make sure those who get very well paid gave their fair share. We will continue to push for a fairer tax system, and wish you all the best for the campaign".

Richard Crawford, Green

Green PPC (Gravesham),

Richard Crawford's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "In the Green Party, we're pledging to the 50% rate over £100,000. (& abolishing the Upper Earnings Limit on National Insurance, so that higher earnings (over £43,875) should pay at 11%, rather than 1%, as it is now. We're pledging to reintroduce the 10% tax band (up to £13,500), rather than raising the tax free allowance to £10,000".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Phil Simpson, Green

Green PPC (Birmingham Edgbaston),

Phil Simpson's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes but it would be better to re-introduce the lower band of 10% as a first step as well as lowering the threshold for the 50% tax rate to £100,000".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Absolutely! This country has one of the lowest tax burdens in western Europe and by taxing more we would be able to reduce the Poverty trap that so many people find themselves in".

If you are elected as an MP, do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes. This is a basic part of the Green Party's manifesto. We need a taxation system that is fair for all but allows Government to govern and keep public services public".

Nick Thomas, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC (Bridgend),

Nick Thomas' endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes and if you read our manifesto some of that policy has already been accepted".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes, the rich must remember that wealth is a privilege and with it comes responsiblities to less well off than themselves".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Andrew Gray, Green

Green PPC (Newcastle upon Tyne East),
Andrew Gray's reply

"I would definitely endorse your objectives, and it's quite a relief to know that there is a fairer tax campaign alongside the well-publicised (and very well funded) taxpayers' alliance".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy*

Answer - "Yes, although rather than tweaking the tax-free personal allowance, our manifesto would re-introduce the 10% tax band and raise the lower NI limit to the personal allowance rate".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy*

Answer - "Yes (whether or not elected!), and am doing so during the current campaign period".

Adam Symons, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Torridge and West Devon),
Adam Symons' endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes".

Adam Carew, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (East Hampshire),
Adam Carew's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes".

Charles West, Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat PPC (Shrewsbury and Atcham),
Charles West's endorsement & reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign,

As a Liberal Democrat, I will be standing at this election on a platform which includes the raising of the personal allowance to £10,000, albeit paid for in a different way (the Liberal Democrats rejected the option of tweaking the additional rate on the basis that many people on such high incomes simply find ways to evade paying income tax altogether, such as contriving to pay capital gains instead).

It will probably not surprise you to learn that I am fairly supportive of your objectives therefore, and indeed the Liberal Democrats would argue that we have the plans needed to make Britain "collectively fairer".

The answer to all three of your questions, therefore, is "yes", with the proviso on question 1 that I advocate a different set of tax increases on the rich".

Yours,
Dr Charles West

Annabelle Ewing, SNP

SNP PPC (Ochil and South Perthshire),
Annabelle Ewing

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign,

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has a proud record of campaigning for fair taxation. We passionately believe that taxation should be based on the ability to pay, and have pursued that principle at every opportunity.

Unlike the London parties, the SNP can point to a record of achievement in Government when it comes to fair taxation. Since winning the Scottish Parliament election in 2007, the SNP have frozen the Council Tax every year for three years. The Council Tax is a fundamentally unfair tax – hitting those on low or fixed incomes, such as the elderly, particularly hard. By freezing the Council Tax the SNP has saved the ordinary tax payer £245 a year and lightened the burden on hard working families struggling with the effects of the economic downturn.

The SNP plan to go further – we want to scrap the unfair and discredited Council Tax altogether, replacing it with a local income tax that will be based on the ability to pay. Doing so would mean low and middle income people would be between £300 and £480 a year better off, and 90,000 people in Scotland, including 10,000 children, would be lifted out of relative poverty. In all, four out of five households will be better or no worse off.
Unfortunately, the SNP Government plans to introduce a fair method of local taxation was blocked in the Scottish Parliament by an unholy alliance of Labour and the Tories. This exposes, once again, how Labour have abandoned their commitment to fairness and equality – principles that only the SNP are now championing in Scotland. We will seek to apply these principles and our belief in fairness – already demonstrated through our approach to local taxation in Scotland – to the income tax system as a whole.
The reality is that the Scottish people cannot trust the London parties to deliver fair taxation. From the Poll Tax to the Council Tax, the London parties have consistently let the people of Scotland down. For Scotland to have the type of fair and equitable taxation system we need full control of taxation must be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

I trust that as apparent advocates of fair taxation for all that you would agree with the foregoing".

Yours sincerely,
Annabelle Ewing

Steven Toole, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Eltham),
Steven Toole's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

---

"Dear FTC,

In relation to the three questions you have posed:

I agree with the principle of the tax changes proposed by the Fairer Tax Campaign although the Liberal Democrats would rebalance the system through our own tax plans as described above.

I agree with the principle that the rich should pay more tax and the poor pay less tax. No tax system should try to create total equality of income but it can, and should, help redistribute wealth and power, to alleviate the worst excesses of inequality.

Our manifesto includes a clear commitment to reform of the income tax system and this is a policy that we intend to pursue in the next parliament. A Liberal Democrat Government will put in place the necessary tax changes in order to raise the personal allowance to £10,000 for the start of financial year 2011-12".

Dr Steven Toole
LibDem, Eltham

James Raven, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Harwich and North Essex),
James Raven's reply

"I am in priniciple in agreement wiht you - as is much of the Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to fairness. I do indeed - and have for decades - believe that Britain needs to become collectively fairer. I agree that the gap between the rich and the poor has continued to grow for decades, which has only served to create a divided society. I quite agree that tis is unacceptable for a developed country with one of the largest economies in the world. More needs to be done to tackle the aforementioned disparity. And, yes, fairer income tax is part of the solution".

Sincerely
Professor James Raven
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Harwich and North Essex

Jeremy Drinkall, AWP

AWP PPC (Vauxhall),
Jeremy Drinkall's reply

"Dear Fairer Tax campaign

One of my main policies is for taxing the rich and multinationals and taking over the banks. This will allow us to spend the billions raised on raising people out of poverty and improving houses, services and benefits and so on.

You can read my manifesto at http://drinkall4vauxhall.blogspot.com/

Therefore regarding your questions: I will fight for a fairer tax system and do believe the rich should pay more and the poor less. I cannot commit to your question one without further study. I actually believe we should have a steeply progressive income tax.

Thank you for allowing me to comment".

Yours
Jeremy Drinkall, Anticapitalist candidate for Vauxhall

Andy Doig, SNP

SNP PPC (Paisley and Renfrewshire South),
Andy Doig's reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign,

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has a proud record of campaigning for fair taxation. We passionately believe that taxation should be based on the ability to pay, and have pursued that principle at every opportunity.

Unlike the London parties, the SNP can point to a record of achievement in Government when it comes to fair taxation. Since winning the Scottish Parliament election in 2007, the SNP have frozen the Council Tax every year for three years. The Council Tax is a fundamentally unfair tax – hitting those on low or fixed incomes, such as the elderly, particularly hard. By freezing the Council Tax the SNP has saved the ordinary tax payer £245 a year and lightened the burden on hard working families struggling with the effects of the economic downturn.

The SNP plan to go further – we want to scrap the unfair and discredited Council Tax altogether, replacing it with a local income tax that will be based on the ability to pay. Doing so would mean low and middle income people would be between £300 and £480 a year better off, and 90,000 people in Scotland, including 10,000 children, would be lifted out of relative poverty. In all, four out of five households will be better or no worse off.

Unfortunately, the SNP Government plans to introduce a fair method of local taxation was blocked in the Scottish Parliament by an unholy alliance of Labour and the Tories. This exposes, once again, how Labour have abandoned their commitment to fairness and equality – principles that only the SNP are now championing in Scotland. We will seek to apply these principles and our belief in fairness – already demonstrated through our approach to local taxation in Scotland – to the income tax system as a whole.

The reality is that the Scottish people cannot trust the London parties to deliver fair taxation. From the Poll Tax to the Council Tax, the London parties have consistently let the people of Scotland down. For Scotland to have the type of fair and equitable taxation system we need full control of taxation must be devolved to the Scottish Parliament".

Yours Sincerely,

Andy Doig,
SNP Westminster Candidate

Leslie Rowe, Green

Green PPC (Richmond, Yorks),
Leslie Rowe's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes, the Green Party proposals are similar".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Absolutely & again this is Green Party policy".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Leila Kiersch, Green

Green PPC (Ceredigion),
Leila Kiersch's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "I believe, in line with Green Party policy, that a progressive taxation system, where taxes are related to ability to pay is the only way forward to create an more equal society. A fuller, more detailed explanation can be found in our manifesto".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Absolutely".

Dilys Cluer, Green

Green PPC (Scarborough and Whitby),
Dilys Cluer's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "The 50% rate on incomes over £100,000 is in our manifesto. We would help lower earners by raising the lower NI limit to the personal allowance level and re-introducing the 10p tax band".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Very definitely yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

George Dow, Green

Green PPC (Carshalton & Wallington),
George Dow's endorsement & reply

"The Green Party would agree in principle with each of your 3 proposals".

The Green Party’s taxes to reduce inequality are as follows:

We agree with a special tax on bankers’ bonuses. And our changes to the pension system will radically reduce the huge advantages the present pension system gives to the most wealthy and take all pensioners out of poverty. But this is only a beginning. We would also

· introduce the new higher rate of income tax at 50% for incomes above £100,000, raising £2.3bn pa
· abolish the upper limit for National Insurance contributions raising £9.1bn
· help lower earners by raising the lower National Insurance limit to the personal allowance rate, that is £6475 or £124.52 a week, costing £3.9bn
· help lower earners by re-introducing the 10% tax band and the 22p basic rate, costing £14.9bn
· increase the main rate of Corporation Tax from 28% back to 30% - and reduce the small firms rate to 20%, altogether raising £1.4bn
· raise the Capital Gains Tax rate from 18 to 22% to the recipient’s highest income tax rate, raising £1bn
· reform inheritance tax, so that the level of taxation depends on the wealth of the recipient rather than that of the deceased, raising £3bn by 2013. This will encourage people to distribute their property widely.
· crack down on tax havens and other methods of tax evasion and avoidance raising £10bn in 2010 rising to £13bn by 2013. In particular press for a transparent international accounting standard that requires companies to report on a country by country basis so that therir profits can be located and taxed.
· reform Council Tax by making people in more expensive houses pay more and those in smaller ones less, adding an additional band at the top for the biggest houses, raising £1.7bn. In the long run we favour moving to a system of Land Value Tax, where the level of taxation depends on the rental value of the land concerned.

"Good luck with the campaign",

George Dow
PPC Green Party (Carshalton & Wallington)

Paul Rowen, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Rochdale),
Paul Rowen's reply

"Thank you for writing to me about the Fairer Tax Campaign. As you may know, the Liberal Democrats are proposing the most radical tax reform in a generation.

We propose to raise the threshold at which people start paying income tax to £10,000, cutting the average working age person’s income tax bill by £700 and cutting pensioner’s income tax bills by £100. Our plans will mean that 3.6 million people on low incomes will no longer have to pay any income tax at all.

To pay for this tax cut the Liberal Democrats will close tax loopholes and allowances which benefit the wealthiest, increase environmental taxes and tackle tax avoidance and evasion".

In relation to the three questions you have posed:

· "I agree with the principle of the tax changes proposed by the Fairer Tax Campaign although the Liberal Democrats would rebalance the system through our own tax plans as described above".

· "I agree with the principle that the rich should pay more tax and the poor pay less tax. No tax system should try to create total equality of income but it can, and should, help redistribute wealth and power, to alleviate the worst excesses of inequality".

· "Our manifesto includes a clear commitment to reform of the income tax system and this is a policy that we intend to pursue in the next parliament. A Liberal Democrat Government will put in place the necessary tax changes in order to raise the personal allowance to £10,000 for the start of financial year 2011-12".

Paul Rowen
Liberal Democrat Candidate for Rochdale

Mike Barker, Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat PPC (Darlington),
Mike Barker's reply

"I agree with the principle of the tax changes proposed by the Fairer Tax Campaign although the Liberal Democrats would rebalance the system through our own tax plans".

"I agree with the principle that the rich should pay more tax and the poor pay less tax. No tax system should try to create total equality of income but it can, and should, help redistribute wealth and power, to alleviate the worst excesses of inequality".

"Our manifesto includes a clear commitment to reform of the income tax system and this is a policy that we intend to pursue in the next parliament. A Liberal Democrat Government will put in place the necessary tax changes in order to raise the personal allowance to £10,000 for the start of financial year 2011-12".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Kevin Warnes, Green

Green PPC (Shipley),
Kevin Warnes' endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes, in principle, though not all the details are consistent with the Green Party's proposed tax reforms".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Regards,
Kevin (Shipley Constituency)

Daniel Perrett, Green

Green PPC (Walthamstow),
Daniel Perrett's endorsement & reply

"My answer is a definite YES to the 3 questions".

Regards,
Daniel Perrett

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

John Cook, Labour

Labour and Co-operative PPC (Norwich North),
John Cook's reply

"I am happy for you to treat my comments as being broadly supportive of your campaign and am supportive of its aims".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "I support fairer and progressive tax, and am generally supportive of higher personal allowances, funded by higher taxes on high earners. I can see that your proposal would be one way of achieving this. I believe there could be some inequality issues around those earning close to £18,000 (slightly over or under), leaving someone earning £18001 worse off than someone earning £17999 for example".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer – "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?**
**not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes – In line to my answer to Question 1"

Gareth Allen, Independent

Independent PPC (Pontefract and Castleford),
Gareth Allen's endorsement & reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "I agree that our entire taxation system is unfairly skewed so that the poorer people in our society pay a far higher proportion of their income as tax than the wealthiest few. We must change this balance by firstly enforcing the rules we already have. As much as £12bn per year in tax is avoided by wealthy individuals and corporations. We must close the loopholes which allow this to happen, and ensure that the wealthy pay what they should, not just wage-earners who cannot afford an accountant".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "I believe that in a progressive society, we should all contribute according to our ability. The tax system should be designed to facilitate that".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "If I am successful, I will fight for working people against the vested interests of the mainstream political parties and their paymasters".

Emma Dixon, Green

Green PPC (Islington North),
Emma Dixon's endorsement & reply

"Thank you for your email. My answers to your questions are as follows".

Question 1: "yes, we agree in principle with the policy set out. We can make a concrete commitment now to introducing the new higher tax rate at 50% above £100,000; to re-introducing the 10% tax band; and to raising the lower National Insurance limit to the personal allowance rate".

Question 2: "yes. That is central to the Green Party’s belief in fairness. We want to rehabiliate progressive taxation".

Question 3: "yes, absolutely. See Question 1 above".

Best wishes
Emma Dixon
Green Party Parliamentary Candidate
Islington North

Chris Bluemel, Green

Green PPC (Southampton Test),
Chris Bluemel's endorsement & reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign

I and the Green Party agree with all of these things, and they are already in our manifesto".

Yours sincerely
Chris Bluemel

Kate Green, Labour

Labour PPC (Stretford and Urmston),
Kate Green's endorsement & reply

"Thanks for getting in touch. I'm also strongly in favour of a progressive tax system, and of rebalancing from indirect taxes (which bear most heavily on those with lower incomes) towards direct taxation. I've long argued for this, in my previous role as chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group for example, and I have been continuing to advocate for fairer taxes and closing the inequality gap ebtween rich and poor since I became a parliamentary candidate (you can read some articles I've written on this subject recently on my website http://www.kategreen.org/)".

John Spademan, Labour

Labour PPC (Witham),
John Spademan's endorsement & reply

"I agree with all your suggestions. Thank you for taking this forward".

"The devil is always in the detail. We do need to try and simplify things and I don't agree with the tax break that the Higher rate tax payers have had for so long with zero NI and now 1% and soon to be 2%. I think the rate should be the same for Normal and High rate tax payers".

Our proposed change (2011-2012 onwards):
i) Additional Rate: Over £100,000 (50%)

ii) A tax free personal allowance of £10,000 for anyone earning up to £17,999 a year. The allowance level will remain at £6,475 for those that earn between £18,000 and £100,000.

Geoff Meaden, Green

Green PPC (Canterbury),
Geoff Meaden's reply

"The Green Party would be very supportive of the principles enshrined in your campaign, though the exact figures might vary slightly".

Dr Geoff Meaden

Penri James, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC Ceredigion,
Penri James' endorsement & reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign team,

I can answer 'Yes' to all of those questions.

They are all Plaid Cymru policies, as far as I know. We have long stood for a fairer tax system"

Best wishes,
Penri James

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

John Brown, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Barnsley East),
John Brown's endorsement & reply

"These questions are generally in line with Lib Dem Policy".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes".

John Brown
Lib Dem PPC, Barnsley East

Euan McPhee, Green

Green PPC (Camborne and Redruth),
Euan McPhee's endorsement & reply

"Radical reform of the taxation system to make it more fair and ensure that poorer people are protected from punitive taxes is at the heart of Green Party policy. So, whilst there are some detailed differences in the figures put forward by the Green Party (eg a further tax band of 60% for all income over £150,000) and the Fairer Tax Campaign, there is broad enough agreement that I am pleased to declare my support for your most worthwhile and important campaign. Count me in!"

"I was glad to see that you acknowledged that tax reform was only part (albeit a large part) of the solution to continuing inequality and hardship in our society; obviously other policies are needed to get people out of fuel poverty, for example".

Cathrine Simmons, Green

Green PPC (Torridge and West Devon),
Cathrine Simmons' endorsement & reply

"I too feel the ordinary working person is having to pay for the wrong doings of various financial workers and bankers. I agree that we need tax justice and I would fully support more transparency by multinational companies concerning their tax affairs and anything else which makes the system fairer. I support the work of Action Aid. I feel that due to factors where large companies trade in many countries they are able to work the system to their advantage and not to the advantage of the general public. Countries need to get together to close loop holes. But also we need the public to support the local firms to improve sustainability".

Paul English, Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat PPC (Blackburn),
Paul English's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?
Answer - "Yes, it is very similar to Liberal Democrat suggestions".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?
Answer - "Yes".

Chris Briton, Green

Green PPC (Wells),
Chris Briton's reply

"If we had a fairer tax system those on low pay would not suffer so much ill health, depression, and lack of mobility. I agree with the aims of your campaign".
Chris Briton

Derek Chase, Green

Green PPC (Cities of London and Westminster),
Derek Chase's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned?
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes".

Chris Southall, Green

Green PPC (Clacton on Sea)
Chris Southall's endorsement and reply

"Dear people
I am happy to support your campaign
All the best".

Jon Underwood, Lib Dem

Liberal Democrat PPC (Tiverton and Honiton)
Jonathan Underdwood's reply

"As a LibDem essentially I do support it - except that the 10k threshold would be funded in a variety of different ways but all of them would fall mainly on the very wealthy".

Best wishes,
Dr Jon Underwood

---

Fairer Tax Campaign:

Our proposed change (2011-2012 onwards):
i) Additional Rate: Over £100,000 (50%)

ii) A tax free personal allowance of £10,000 for anyone earning up to £17,999 a year. The allowance level will remain at £6,475 for those that earn between £18,000 and £100,000.

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Roger Holmes, MK

Mebyon Kernow PPC (South East Cornwall),
Roger Holmes' reply

"Yes, I support in principle all three of your propositions as tax should be related directly to ability to pay. That is one reason why I do not support big increases in VAT which affects the less well off more than the richer. I also support measures to reduce the pay differentials somwhat because they are growing too wide. The gap between rich and poor is too big and getting greater. One way to promote this would be to revive the late Edward Heath's idea of pay rises containing a flat rate element as well as the percentage. His 'pound plus four per cent' may not have been quite the right levels but the principle, added to a minimum pay level as we now have, seems to me correct".

Roger Holmes, MK PC for SE Cornwall.

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

John Dixon, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC
(Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South),
John Dixon's reply

"Question 1 - I support point (i) entirely, and this commitment is in Plaid's manifesto for the election. On point (ii), we have said that we would raise the personal tax limit by £1,000 across the board. Your idea of a reduced personal allowance for higher earners is not something I had thought about previously. It's an interesting idea which I'll take up within the party. I will not, at this stage, commit to supporting moves to go further than the proposals in our manifesto until I am certain that they are properly costed within our overall spending plans".

"I am happy to commit to supporting points 2 and 3".

"I support a progressive redistributive tax system, and am open to considering any specific proposals for achieving that end".

John Dixon

i) Additional Rate: Over £100,000 (50%)

ii) A tax free personal allowance of £10,000 for anyone earning up to £17,999 a year. The allowance level will remain at £6,475 for those that earn between £18,000 and £100,000.

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Douglas Chapman, SNP

SNP PPC (Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath),
Douglas Chapman's reply

"Yes to all three questions".

"Tax should be based on the ability to pay and having a scale of taxation where those earning the most also pay a larger proportion of their income seems the most fair approach".

"In any tax system there should also be an incentive for those who are paid the least either to be in a position where they do not pay tax at all ( through more generous allowances ) or have those on low pay pay very little tax. I believe there must be an incentive for people to work and earn their living and that there should be a differential between having the respect that earning a decent living brings and being on benefits".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Sam Coates, Green

Green PPC (Cardiff Central),
Sam Coates' endorsement and reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Green Party policy is broadly within this principle but goes about achieveing it in a slightly different way - with a Citizens Income".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Absolutely!"

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer "Yes, we need to increase the taxation share of GDP to continue to fund and expand certain social policy programmes and this has to be funded through higher tax on the rich".

Mark Durkan, SDLP

Social Democratic Labour Party MP (Foyle),
Mark Durkan's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "I agree with the underlying premise but cannot commit to the specific figures".

n a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Adrian Windisch, Green

Green PPC (Reading West),
Adrian Windisch's endorsement and reply

"I agree that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax, at the moment the rich are not paying their fair share.

While I agree in the long term to increase the allowance to £10,000 is a worthy goal, I dont think it can be done this year. Once the financial crisis is settled, and the loopholes are cut, then we would look at this.

The Green Party sees this as a way to reduce inequalities in society and to fund investment in jobs which are needed to create a sustainable society and tackle the economic and environmental crises. Our manifesto will be published shortly and it will have a costed economic policy that is sustainable".

Juliet Boddington, AGS

AGS PPC (Scarborough and Whitby),
Juliet Boddington's endorsement & reply

"Thank you for your questions which I can answer very easily with a resounding 'yes' to them all".

"You can certainly regard my response as an endorsement of your campaign".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*

*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*

*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Lindsay Whittle, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC (Caerfilli),
Lindsay Whittle's endorsement and reply

"I have experienced life as a low wage earner and now I am quite well off as I get older. I have no objection to paying more now that I earn more".

"I am happy to agree with your stance that the rich should pay more tax than the poorer of our society. It is only fair. If elected I pledge to support this principle".

"Good luck with your campaign".

Mike Davies, AGS

Alliance for Green Socialism PPC (Leeds East),
Mike Davies' endorsement and reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer - "I agree in principle with the policy. The growth in inequality, and the absolute level of inequality in this country is shocking. More progressive income tax is the simplest and fairest way of addressing this".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "I believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor less. The rich should pay not merely a larger amount but a progressively larger proportion of their income. For a person on a low income, paying a thousand pounds in tax can be very onerous; for a person on a very high income, paying a hundred thousand pounds may be merely inconvenient".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?

Answer - "I pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament, and for overall reform of the tax system so that the full range of taxes are more progressive. As well as more progressive income tax, this would encompass greater reliance on progressive taxes and less reliance on taxes such as VAT that are formally non-progressive and actually regressive".

Jillian Creasy, Green

Green PPC (Sheffield Central),
Jillian Creasy's endorsement and reply

"I am solidly in agreement with your principles - that the rich should pay more tax and the poor less. The Green Party sees this as a way to reduce inequalities in society and to fund investment in jobs in construction and public services which are needed to create a sustainable society and tackle the economic and environmental crises. Our manifesto (to be published in the next 10 days) includes a commitment for a 50% tax rate for those earning over £100k. We would remove the upper limit for NI. We would cut tax havens and loop holes to properly tax the ultra-rich".

Tim Andrewes, Green

Green PPC (St Ives), Tim Andrewes' reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "I agree with the policy of increasing income tax up to 50% for those earning £100,000 or more per annum. While I am sympathetic with the policy of raising the personal tax allowance threshold as you outline, I simply don’t think that this can be afforded at the present time, when there is a huge deficit in the nation’s finances and enormous pressure to cut public services as a result. I would rather maintain spending on public services than cut taxes at this time, as I feel that those on lower incomes would be affected most if services were cut. (Alternatively, were the threshold to be increased, indirect taxes such as VAT might have to go up, which would also hit poor households hard)".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Martin Blakebrough, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Monmouth),
Martin Blakebrough's endorsement & reply

"Thank you. I do believe in fairer tax and welcome the proposals you have outlined".

Derek Wall, Green

Green PPC (Windsor),
Derek Wall's endorsement and reply

"Dear FTC,

I support all three pledges. Inequality is very damaging to society as the spirit level shows, please add my support".

Derek Wall,
Green party candidate Windsor

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Myfanwy Davies, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru's PPC (Llanelli),
Myfanwy Davies' endorsement and reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Lowering the threshold for the 50% tax to earnings over 100,000 is already Plaid policy. Increasing the tax free personal allowance threshold to £10,000 for those earning less than £18,000 a year would be an important means of dealing with wealth inequality and is broadly in line with our approach to tax fairness".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "Yes".

Tom Chance, Green

Green PPC (Bermondsey & Old Southwark),
Tom Chance's endorsement and reply

"Yes to all three, and reform of iniquitous rates on National Insurance and Capital Gains in addition".

Question 1: Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Question 2: In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Question 3: If you are elected as an MP, do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Ruth Bergan, Green

Green PPC (Stalybridge & Hyde),
Ruth Bergan's endorsement and reply

"Many thanks for your email regarding changes to the tax system. I am very supportive of the need to reform our tax system. Tameside Green Party this weekend campaigned in Hyde town centre for the Robin Hood Tax - a tax on banking transactions, just one of many ways we believe our tax system needs to be reformed".

In response to your questions:
1. "Yes, I agree in principle with your policies and the Green Party already has very similar proposals in our 'Manifesto for a Sustainable Society'".
2. "Yes, I agree that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax".
3. "Yes, I pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament".

Tom Crone, Green

Green PPC (Liverpool Riverside),
Tom Crone's reply

"Dear Fairer Tax Campaign

An emphatic yes to all three of your questions".

Regards

Tom Crone
Green Party candidate for Liverpool Riverside

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Will Duckworth, Green

Green PPC (Stourbridge),
Will Duckworth's reply

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy

Answer - "Yes, but I don't believe it goes far enough and does not mention (unless I missed it) the unfairness of earnings over £44,000 being at a much lower National Insurance rate. I am also worried that the jump in allowance will mean that somone earning £18,000 will take home much less than someone earning £17,999".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Certainly. I am a socialist and the Green Party is a socialist party".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy

Answer - "I certainly will continue to campaign for fairer income tax."

Dafydd Tristan, Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru PPC (Cynon Valley),
Dafydd Tristan's endorsement and reply

"I'm a strong believer in fairer tax - those who can pay more should do so, indeed it would be progress if they paid the tax they currently should pay, and low waged earners should be taken out of the tax system entirely".

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?*
*no commitment to act upon the policy
Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?
Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?*
*not necessarily as specified with the above policy
Answer - "Yes".

Steve Churchman, Lib Dem

Lib Dem PPC (Dwyfor Meirionnydd),
Steve Churchman's reply

"Many thanks for your email. The three questions you raise underly the more important fundamental point of "Fair Tax". This is one of my campaign themes here in Dwyfor-Meirionnydd and I am currently distributing a leaflet on this very point.

I believe in Fair Tax, based upon ability to pay. I see no point in asking the poorer paid to contribute a large proportion of their income - or else there is no point in them working. Hence some people just don't want to work.

The Liberal Democrats have called for a big permanent tax cut for all income tax payers. Currently, people on lower and middle incomes pay a larger part of their earnings in tax than wealthy people. Under the Liberal Democrat plans, no one would pay any tax on the first £10,000 they earned. The plans would mean that 4 million of the lowest paid workers in the UK wouldn’t have to pay tax at all, including 11,100 in my own county of Gwynedd alone. Now to give a straight answer (unusual for a politician?) to the three questions":

Do you agree in principle with the aforementioned policy?

Answer - "Yes".

In a generic sense, do you believe that the rich should pay more tax and the poor should pay less tax?

Answer - "Yes".

Do you pledge to campaign for income tax reform at the next parliament?

Answer - "Yes. Already implied in my answer, the Lib Dems are committed to tax reforms".