I have spent most of my working life in business. Having been an employer, I understand that the House of Commons needs people with practical business experience. Castle Point has huge numbers of small businesses that deserve a government that listens to them.
Labour are the party of welfare, not work. They promised not to raise taxes on working people, but they broke that promise. Since entering government, they have raised Employers’ National Insurance contributions, making it harder for businesses to hire employees. They have also increased capital gains tax, inheritance tax and frozen personal tax thresholds. Taxes on UK workers are rising at the fastest rate in the rich world, and the tax burden is now at its highest level since 1945. Under Andy Burnham, taxes will rise further.
As a Conservative, I believe that the government should be careful with your money. I am proud to support Kemi Badenoch’s Golden Economic Rule – for every £1 saved in public spending, at least half will go towards reducing the deficit. The remainder will go towards affordable tax cuts and other pro-growth measures, including:
- Abolishing Stamp Duty on primary residences
- Eliminating Inheritance Tax on family homes and raise the individual threshold from £325,000 to £500,000
- Scrapping business rates for thousands of high street businesses
- Introducing a First Job Bonus – a £5,000 tax cut for young people entering work for the first time, paid into a savings account
- Repealing the Family Farm Tax and safeguarding our food security
- Repealing the Family Business Tax to support the makers and risk-takers who drive economic growth
- Repealing the Education Tax supporting parents who invest in their children’s future
- Repealing the Energy Profits Levy and backing our energy industry to create jobs and growth
- Abolishing the £100,000 childcare cliff edge so that parents are not unfairly penalised for working while bringing up a family
Between Labour’s endless tax rises and Reform’s reckless pledges, only the Conservative Party have realistic answers that put growth first.