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Cameron targets by-election win Darling 'assures' 10p tax rebels
(about 10 hours later)
The row over the scrapping of the 10p rate of tax will be central to the Tories' fight to win the Labour seat of Crewe & Nantwich, David Cameron said. Alistair Darling has given Labour rebels a "categoric assurance" he will help people hit by the abolition of the 10p tax rate, the BBC has learned.
His party will give it their "best shot" to overturn the late Gwyneth Dunwoody's 7,078 majority, he said. The chancellor held talks with former minister Frank Field and former whip Greg Pope to discuss compensation
He said a vote for the Conservatives on 22 May in Crewe will send a message "to Gordon Brown to do more to help those who will suffer from the 10p tax rate". Treasury sources said Mr Darling was "looking at all the options" and wanted to get any package "right".
Mr Brown is expected to unveil a raft of policy changes to win over voters. Tory leader David Cameron said the row would help his party win the Labour seat of Crewe and Nantwich.
Speaking at his monthly news conference, Mr Cameron said winning the Crewe & Nantwich seat was the Tories' "top campaigning priority". The abolition of the lowest rate of income tax came into effect last month, alongside a reduction in the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p and increases in child benefit and tax credits.
'Strong candidate' 'Top priority'
He said Thursday's local elections, which saw Labour pushed into third place behind the Lib Dems, had scuppered the idea that the Tories "can't win seats in the north of England". Former welfare reform minister Mr Field has warned that MPs are prepared to block the Budget unless details are given of how the 5.3 million people hit by the changes will be compensated.
"We have got 15 days to overturn Labour's majority of over 7,000," he said. The government has said it will outline a compensation package for pensioners aged 60 to 64 and low earners before this autumn's pre-Budget report.
Our message will focus in particular on the 10p tax rate and how Gordon Brown is hurting the people of Crewe with tax increases just at the moment their cost of living is going up David CameronConservative leader It's going to be a tall order, but we're going to give it our best shot David Cameron class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7386409.stm">Tories in by-election bid
"Obviously it's going to be a tall order, but we're going to give it our best shot. We have a strong local candidate and a real focus from the entire organisation. After the chancellor's meeting with Mr Field and Mr Pope, a Treasury source said Mr Darling had given a "categoric assurance that he is intending to help as many people as possible; that he is looking at all the options; and that he wants to get it right".
"Our message will focus in particular on the 10p tax rate and how Gordon Brown is hurting the people of Crewe with tax increases just at the moment their cost of living is going up. It was added that Mr Darling had given gave Mr Field no assurances on any of the detail being considered in the compensation package.
"People in Crewe know that the more of them who vote Conservative on 22 May, the clearer the message will be to Gordon Brown to do more to help those who will suffer from the 10p tax rate." Earlier, Mr Field told the BBC: "It's crucial that people who have lost out from the 10p don't feel deserted by us.
Mr Cameron is due to meet Conservative candidate Edward Timpson, who will face Tamsin Dunwoody, Labour's choice, and the daughter of veteran MP Mrs Dunwoody.
He said he was ready for a general election, should it come sooner than 2010, saying they were on a "permanent" election footing.
He said a Tory government's top priority would be the NHS, reform of schools, welfare and making families stronger.
Tax code changes?
He urged Mr Brown to reopen the Budget, which he described as "a disaster".
"It was immoral to tax 5.3m low-paid people in order to stand up and look like a tax cutter in the House of Commons, to kind of buy the votes of Middle England," he said.
Meanwhile, Labour ministers were rallying round Mr Brown following the poor showing in last Thursday's local elections, which were topped off by Tory Boris Johnson seizing London's mayoralty from Ken Livingstone.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded talk of a leadership challenge "utter rubbish", while Justice Secretary Jack Straw and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander insisted Mr Brown's position was secure.
10p tax revolt back on?
However, there was little sign of comfort for Mr Brown, who claimed Labour "will recover" from its worst local election results in more than 40 years, and told the BBC he took the blame.
Former welfare minister Frank Field, the leader of Labour's backbench revolt against the scrapping of the 10p tax rate, threatened to revive the protest.
Mr Field said unless Mr Brown sets out plans for compensating those who lost out in the controversial tax changes, Labour MPs were prepared to block the Budget.
"It's crucial that people who have lost out from the 10p don't feel deserted by us," he told the BBC.
"I plead with the government to act today and give us a public statement on what I know they are committed to and working on in private.""I plead with the government to act today and give us a public statement on what I know they are committed to and working on in private."
Mr Brown also faces the threat of further damage if a big rebellion emerges over plans to extend the time suspects can be held without charge to 42 days. Meanwhile, Mr Cameron said a vote for the Conservatives on 22 May in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election would send a message to Gordon Brown to "do more to help those who will suffer from the 10p tax rate".
Meanwhile, Mr Brown was gathering the bosses of the world's biggest companies on Tuesday to urge them to do more in the fight against global poverty. 'Crocodile tears'
"It was immoral to tax 5.3 million low-paid people in order to stand up and look like a tax-cutter in the House of Commons, to kind of buy the votes of Middle England," he added.
However, Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable accused Mr Cameron of crying "crocodile tears", claiming "the only tax cuts he has proposed are for millionaires".
Meanwhile, Labour ministers rallied round Mr Brown following the poor showing in last Thursday's local elections, topped off by Tory Boris Johnson seizing London's mayoralty from Ken Livingstone.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded talk of a leadership challenge "utter rubbish", while Justice Secretary Jack Straw and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander insisted Mr Brown's position was secure.
But ex-home secretary Charles Clarke said that "last Thursday's Conservative success was the direct result of Labour failure" and amounted to "a slap in the face" from the electorate, who "have the right to expect better".
Influential backbencher Jon Cruddas warned: "Our people are abandoning us, we're sinking fast, and no amount of hand-wringing and promises of 'listening and learning' from election night will change that... It's not too late to change - but choose change we must."
Mr Brown claimed Labour would recover from its worst local election results in more than 40 years and told the BBC he took the blame.
However, he faces the threat of further damage if a big rebellion emerges over plans to extend the time suspects can be held without charge to 42 days.