Nigel Farage promises £18bn of tax cuts as he launches Ukip manifesto
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Version 0 of 1. Nigel Farage has launched Ukip’s election manifesto with promises of £18bn in tax cuts, much stricter immigration controls and an exit from the European Union. The Ukip leader claimed on Wednesday that his party had professionalised beyond recognition over the past five years, as he presented a glossy corporate-looking brochure that he claimed was fully costed and independently audited by the CEBR thinktank. Related: Ukip manifesto 2015 - the key points Speaking at a hotel in the Ukip target constituency of Thurrock in Essex, he said: “We genuinely want to make working people better off. We will do this by making the argument for a low-tax revolution. We believe that will unleash an economic dynamism that has not been seen for a very long time … What I am proposing is a big tax giveaway of £18bn.” In an effort to show Ukip is more than just a one-man band, the party’s brochure was filled with pictures of other party chiefs, including its local government spokesman cleaning a toilet and its development spokesman with his arms around an aid recipient. This caused controversy as a room of Ukip supporters turned on a journalist for asking why the only black face in the manifesto was on the foreign aid page. Farage clapped and joined Ukip supporters in booing the journalist as ethnic minority activists stood up to make themselves known. The Ukip leader then declined to answer the original question. Having introduced the event, Farage handed over to policy chief Suzanne Evans to present her central claim that Ukip is now “the party with the money”. Evans outlined Ukip’s desire to abolish inheritance tax, raise the basic- and higher-rate income tax thresholds, and introduce a 30p tax rate. This would be paid for by scrapping HS2, leaving the EU, slashing foreign aid and cutting funding for Scotland. The party would also abolish the energy, culture and international development departments in Whitehall. The manifesto had a more realistic tone to the 2010 document that Farage dismissed as nonsense and drivel. In a challenge to the Conservatives and Labour, he pledged to increase defence spending, abolish hospital parking charges, give £12bn to the NHS, give £5bn to social care, fund an extra 6,000 police, border staff and prison officer jobs for veterans, and cut small business rates. However, in the 76-page document other pledges remained, including a ban on sex education for primary school pupils, state funding for 800 food bank advisers, the chronological teaching of British history in schools, smoking rooms for pubs and zero tolerance for cultural practices that conflict with British values. There was also confusion over Ukip’s position on immigration, as it pledged to reinstate a 50,000-a-year cap on skilled immigrants, even though Farage scrapped the concept of immigration targets just a few weeks ago. Ahead of the launch, Steven Woolfe, Ukip’s immigration spokesman, acknowledged there had been tension over the issue. He told Sky News: “I, like most people when you work with professionals who are working under intense pressure, sometimes have disagreements and I had a disagreement with Suzanne over a couple of points at that time, but they’re all cleared out.” Ukip’s other policies on immigration also include an Australian-style points system for skilled workers and a five-year ban on unskilled workers, but Evans acknowledged seasonal workers might be allowed to come over on temporary visas or students could take their place working on farms. Another pledge was bringing back the “primary purpose rule” scrapped by Labour that forced immigrants to prove their marriages to British citizens were genuine. This was unpopular with many people because it meant foreign spouses and dependants of British citizens were prevented from entering the country. During the campaign so far, Farage has struggled to break into the headlines, with the Conservatives and Labour presenting the election as a straight choice between Ed Miliband and David Cameron for prime minister. Amid polls suggesting Ukip’s national share of the vote is falling, Farage told a rally on Monday night: “There is a very big squeeze being put on Ukip with the presentation of a binary choice … But neither of the big parties are going to be able to form a government.” At his party’s manifesto launch, he rubbished reports that he had put out “feelers” about a deal with Conservatives after the election and suggested the rival party should get rid of Cameron as leader. The Conservatives rubbished Ukip’s claims to have a written a “fully-costed” document. A spokesman said: “Ukip saying their numbers add up is like Labour saying they’re not going to raise your taxes. We all know that Nigel Farage doesn’t have a credible plan for Britain.” Ukip is only expected to win a handful of seats at the election but could influence the overall result through its share of the vote in marginals. |