The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) has this week published stark new polling and research
evidence that, with the credit crunch tightening its grip, British taxpayers are
facing a cripplingly high tax burden, and floating voters are willing to give
their vote to the party that promises tax cuts.
The annual Lifetime Tax report shows that the average family face a lifetime
tax bill of GBP668,000 at today's prices - an above inflation rise of 6% on
last year's figure - whilst poor families have seen their tax bill increase
a massive 13% in the past year.
New polling for the TPA shows that in the last twelve months, public opposition
to high taxes has grown greatly, a massive cross-party majority has built up
against green taxes, and crucial floating voters are up for grabs to the party
willing to stamp out waste, reduce spending and cut taxes.
According to the report, this average total lifetime tax on British families
of up to GBP668,000 is a huge jump from the GBP631,000 lifetime tax bill which
the TPA reported last year - a rise of almost 6%. It goes on to add that poor
families were even harder hit by rising taxes, seeing their tax bill jump 13%
in one year to GBP264,000, up from GBP233,000 last year. According to the TPA,
this shows that any party serious about tackling poverty must address the issue
of tax cuts.
Further to this, a PoliticsHome Phi5000 poll commissioned by the TaxPayers'
Alliance panel also found that an overwhelming 74% of the public now believe
that "politicians are not serious about the environment and are using the
issue as an excuse to raise more revenue from green taxes," up from 63%
in August 2007. The number of people with faith that politicians are using green
taxes for the right reasons has fallen from 20% to 14%.
The poll also concludes that only 5% think the government taxes too little
and spends too little. The view that taxation and spending are too high is now
the most popular view in every party and, significantly, an overwhelming 73%
of floating voters agree with the proposition, and goes on to state that overall,
36% of people would be more likely to vote for a party that committed not to
raise taxes, compared to only 6% who would be less likely to give that party
their vote.
Crucially, floating voters who registered no party allegiance were the most
likely to switch their vote on the basis of of a pledge not to bring in any
further further tax rises, with 43% supporting such a pledge and only 5% against.
For the Conservatives in particular, the polling suggests that a policy of
lower taxes and no more green taxation would not only gain the strong support
of their existing supporters but would appeal strongly to floating voters.
Concluding the report, the TPA announced that whilst 53% of Conservatives want
a commitment to lower taxes, 38% want taxes to stay the same and 3% want higher
taxes, floating voters have similar views: 48% support tax cuts, 34% support
current tax levels and 6% want higher taxes.
The TPA concluded that, contrary to the stereotype that tax-cutting Tories
are out of step with floating voters, actually it is the politicians who support
tax rises who are out of step.
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