247 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
247 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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politics
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david-cameron
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8045110
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-----
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# Child benefit row: David Cameron offers tax-break olive branch
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## David Cameron offered married couples the prospect of tax breaks yesterday
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in an attempt to contain a growing furore over the scrapping of child benefit
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for thousands of stay-at-home mothers.
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![David Cameron offered married couples the prospect of tax breaks yesterday
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in an attempt to contain a growing furore over the scrapping of child benefit
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for thousands of stay-at-home mothers. ][1]
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In a series of broadcast interviews David Cameron stated that tax breaks were
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being considered Photo: GETTY
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Robert Winnett and Andrew Porter 7:00AM BST 06 Oct 2010
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The Prime Minister said in broadcast interviews that the tax breaks were being
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considered as he attempted to fend off criticism of the decision to deny child
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benefit to higher-rate taxpayers. Details of the scheme were not disclosed,
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adding to concerns that tax and benefit policy was being "made on the hoof".
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Earlier this week, George Osborne announced that families with a higher rate
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taxpayer would not be able to claim child benefit from 2013. The move was
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criticised for being particularly unfair on mothers who stay at home to care
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for their children.
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Yesterday, Mr Cameron insisted that the move was "fair" in the context of the
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struggle to repay record public debts. However, he said that the Government
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would "obviously" listen to complaints that it should look at families' total
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income, rather than simply remove child benefit from households with a single
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higher-rate taxpayer.
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That would mean introducing a more sophisticated means-testing system which Mr
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Cameron said would be "incredibly bureaucratic and expensive and, frankly,
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quite intrusive".
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"Obviously it's coming in 2013 and we have also got to look at other things we
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have promised to do," he said. "If you look, for instance, at the issue of the
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stay-at-home mother, we do talk in the Coalition Government about having some
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sort of transferable tax allowance to help couples in that way.
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## Related Articles
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* [Clever politics? No, crass and out of touch][2]
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05 Oct 2010
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* [Class envy won't win the Tories the next election][3]
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05 Oct 2010
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* [Conservative Party Conference: day three as it happened][4]
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05 Oct 2010
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* [Cameron defends plans to axe child benefit for high earners][5]
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05 Oct 2010
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* [Education secretary Michael Gove admits he was beaten at school][6]
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05 Oct 2010
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"So there are things that we will try and do to make sure that all of what we
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do, if you look across the piece, to deal with the deficit is fair."
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The Prime Minister added that he regretted having to remove child benefit from
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higher rate taxpayers. "It is difficult. I wish I wasn't having to do this,"
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he said. "But we have to deal with the problems in front of us and we have to
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do so in a way that is fair and protects the poorest."
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In the run-up to the election, the Conservatives proposed that basic-rate
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taxpayers would be able to "transfer" up to £750 of their tax-free allowance
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to their husband or wife. This could cut a couple's annual tax bill by up to
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£150. George Osborne, the Chancellor, indicated that he wished to introduce
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the measure from 2011. However, it would be of no benefit to the victims of
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the child benefit reduction who are higher-rate taxpayers.
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Ministers have also not repeated the pledge to introduce the tax break since
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the Coalition was formed.
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Yesterday, Downing Street aides indicated that the scope of the tax break may
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be increased to include some higher rate taxpayers. However, it would not
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fully compensate single-income families who will lose more than £1,700 in
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child benefit a year if they have two children.
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Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said last night that Mr
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Osborne's child benefit announcement had been brought forward because of media
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pressure. He said the Chancellor wanted to address the issue because
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journalists were "dwelling on this the whole time".
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[What are these?][8]
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* Share: [Share][7] [ ][9] [ ][10]
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[Tweet][11]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8045110/Child-benefit-
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row-David-Cameron-offers-tax-break-olive-branch.html
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Telegraph
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## [David Cameron][12]
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* ### [News »][13]
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* ### [Politics »][14]
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* ### [Conservative »][15]
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* ### [UK News »][16]
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In news
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[![Prime Minister David Cameron (R) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hold
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their first joint press conference in the Downing Street garden][17]][18]
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### [In charge from day one][18]
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[![One year of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in
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pictures][19] ][20]
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### [One year of the coalition][20]
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[![David Cameron?s Coalition has failed to support marriage, unfairly
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penalised middle-class parents and done ?almost nothing? to address the
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breakdown of families, according to a think tank founded by Iain Duncan Smith.
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][21] ][22]
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### [David Cameron: coalition is getting things done][22]
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[![Cut loose, Dave, and let the nation decide; David Cameron leaves a polling
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station after casting his vote for the AV referendum; AFP][23] ][24]
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### [Cameron: Conservative Party has done well][24]
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[![Cameron has seen off AV ? but now he must see off Salmond; SNP leader Alex
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Salmond boards a helicopter at Strathaven Airfield on May 4; PA][25] ][26]
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### [Cameron has seen off AV - but now he must see off Salmond][26]
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[X][7] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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[What are these?][8]
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Share:
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* [ ][7]
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* [ ][9]
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* [ ][10]
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* [Tweet][11]
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* Advertisement
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![][27]
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[![Follow The Telegraph on social media][28]][29]
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[UK Political Database »][30]
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Search Telegraph.co.uk's UK Political Database.
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