Hunt Says Tax to Rise After UK Vote in Blow to Tory Message
- Conservatives built campaign around promise to reduce burden
- Chancellor says income tax thresholds to remain frozen to 2028
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The UK’s governing Conservatives would keep income tax thresholds frozen until 2028 if they stay in power, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said, confirming an effective tax rise on earnings and undermining the core message in the Tory election campaign that is built around tax cuts.
Both Hunt and Tory premier Rishi Sunak, his predecessor as Britain’s finance minister, have opted to keep most income tax bands unchanged since 2021 rather than raise them in line with inflation. They argued the government needed to raise revenue to pay for spending during the Covid-19 pandemic.