Farage slams Tories' top tax policy

UKIP leader Nigel Farage MEP has attacked Tory policy on income tax for higher earners following the government's decision to impose a top rate of 45% from 2011.

David Cameron has said he won't rescind the 45p rate for those earning over £150,000 and William Hague refuses to rule out raising top taxes, while George Osborne says the higher rate will be difficult to avoid.

"Raising rates is simply giving in to those metropolitan types who envy people who do succeed," Mr Farage said.

"The truth is that the last time the top tax rate was lowered, by Nigel Lawson, the percentage of income tax collected from high earners actually went up.

"You don't get more money by raising tax rates, you get it by lowering them and allowing business, people and entrepreneurs to work hard and flourish.

"This is why UKIP, uniquely amongst the major parties, proposes low and flat taxes.

"If the government's books don't balance there is no point in putting a further brake on the growth of the economy by raising tax rates. Far better to do what we know works, enable people to keep what they earn from their efforts and thus reward those efforts.

"When even the Tories are seemingly ignorant of these well known facts, there's no wonder that voters are increasingly looking to lend their votes to UKIP in the upcoming Euro elections. For we are right about taxes – Cameron, Osborne and Hague are wrong."

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