This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7510909.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Lib Dems in taxation cut pledge Clegg pledge to make tax 'fairer'
(about 2 hours later)
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says he wants "tax cuts for those who need it most" as he prepares to give details of his pledge to cut the overall tax burden. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has outlined his pledge to cut taxes for low and middle-income people, as part of his proposals to make "Britain fairer".
He said his party was looking to make £20bn savings in government spending and tax the wealthy more. He said "struggling families" should be paying "much less" tax while "wasteful" government spending should be cut.
The party has been associated with tax rises - such as a pledge to put 1p on the basic tax rate to fund education. Among proposals in a policy document is that the NHS should pay for patients not treated "on time" to go private.
But Mr Clegg told the BBC: "It is impeccably liberal to say we should have a fairer tax system." Labour and the Tories are committed to the same spending levels but Mr Clegg says they are not "set in stone".
He wants his party to identify £20bn of savings which would be used to cut taxes for lower and average earners, and to bring down the overall level of tax. Mr Clegg said his party was looking to make £20bn savings in government spending in order to cut taxes for lower and average earners and bring down the overall level of tax.
'Tighten belts''Tighten belts'
Mr Clegg wants to close "loopholes" in capital gains tax and pension tax relief which he says favours the better off, and raise green taxes to punish "polluters".Mr Clegg wants to close "loopholes" in capital gains tax and pension tax relief which he says favours the better off, and raise green taxes to punish "polluters".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the tax system had to become "much fairer" and the government had to "tighten its belt" - for example by slashing the number of MPs by one third, some defence programmes and even some Whitehall departments.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the tax system had to become "much fairer" and the government had to "tighten its belt" - for example by slashing the number of MPs by one third, some defence programmes and even some Whitehall departments.
We are quite unapologetic about saying that people who have got a lot of money will pay more Nick CleggWe are quite unapologetic about saying that people who have got a lot of money will pay more Nick Clegg
"I don't accept the assumption from Gordon Brown and David Cameron, that the level of public spending at the moment is cast in stone forever.""I don't accept the assumption from Gordon Brown and David Cameron, that the level of public spending at the moment is cast in stone forever."
Later, in a speech launching a document setting out ideas on a wide range of areas, Mr Clegg said his aim was to create "a fair society" and asked: "How can it be fair that the poorest pay the highest portion of their income in tax?"
He said "struggling families" should be paying "much less" tax and his party would replace council tax and get "wasteful government spending under control and look for ways to cut the overall tax burden".
"Every tax cut we propose will put more money in the pockets of struggling families, not millionaires," he said.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne has said Mr Clegg can afford to make such pledges because his party - the third largest at Westminster - is not expected to win power.Shadow chancellor George Osborne has said Mr Clegg can afford to make such pledges because his party - the third largest at Westminster - is not expected to win power.
But Mr Clegg told the BBC: "He would say that wouldn't he? We have always been very assiduous at saying if we are going to offer tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes we are going to be quite explicit about where it comes from." But Mr Clegg told the BBC: "We are quite unapologetic about saying that people who have got a lot of money will pay more, people who pollute will pay more through our green taxes and that some government expenditure, waste at the centre.. that will also be where we get the money from."
"We are quite unapologetic about saying that people who have got a lot of money will pay more, people who pollute will pay more through our green taxes and that some government expenditure, waste at the centre.. that will also be where we get the money from."
Safeguard financesSafeguard finances
Among other proposals in the document are a "care guarantee" that NHS patients who are not treated on time will be able to go private - funded by the NHS. On education they would change schools funding, axe "pointless targets" and reduce "stressful national test".
The party also says it would use energy companies' "windfall subsidy" from rising fuel costs to reduce people's bills by insulating homes and through "social tariffs" to encourage people to use less.
It also pledges more investment in renewable energy and to axe plans to build more nuclear power stations, scrap the identity card scheme, have 150 fewer MPs and independently audit MPs' expenses.
Mr Clegg said he was taking forward the Lib Dem "tradition" of making the tax system fairer and tax cuts must come from the "bottom up" - which he said differentiated his party from the Conservatives.Mr Clegg said he was taking forward the Lib Dem "tradition" of making the tax system fairer and tax cuts must come from the "bottom up" - which he said differentiated his party from the Conservatives.
Asked about the previous 1p pledge - abandoned in 2002 - he said the party had identified a lack of government spending on public services ten years ago which had since doubled. Asked about a previous pledge to introduce a 50p tax rate for top earners, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme "we did our sums, as did others, it worked out it didn't raise as much as we initially thought it had - we felt it was better to look at the tax system as a whole".
Of a previous pledge to introduce a 50p tax rate for top earners, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme "we did our sums, as did others, it worked out it didn't raise as much as we initially thought it had - we felt it was better to look at the tax system as a whole."
On Tuesday, Conservative leader David Cameron did not rule out the possibility of tax rises if his party wins power. He told the BBC he hoped it would not happen but government had to do "what is right to safeguard the public finances".On Tuesday, Conservative leader David Cameron did not rule out the possibility of tax rises if his party wins power. He told the BBC he hoped it would not happen but government had to do "what is right to safeguard the public finances".