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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Tories 'committed to tax pledge' | Tories 'committed to tax pledge' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Senior Conservatives including Ken Clarke have insisted the party remains committed to abolishing inheritance tax on estates worth less than £1m. | Senior Conservatives including Ken Clarke have insisted the party remains committed to abolishing inheritance tax on estates worth less than £1m. |
| It follows comments from Mr Clarke, shadow business secretary, on Sunday suggesting it was only an "aspiration". | It follows comments from Mr Clarke, shadow business secretary, on Sunday suggesting it was only an "aspiration". |
| He later issued a statement insisting it would happen in the first term of a Tory government - a commitment stressed by other shadow cabinet members. | He later issued a statement insisting it would happen in the first term of a Tory government - a commitment stressed by other shadow cabinet members. |
| Labour claimed the Conservative tax plans had been "thrown into confusion". | Labour claimed the Conservative tax plans had been "thrown into confusion". |
| Key point | Key point |
| Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan - the man Mr Clarke replaced as shadow business secretary - sought to clarify the position on Monday. | Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan - the man Mr Clarke replaced as shadow business secretary - sought to clarify the position on Monday. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today: "We intend to make sure that only millionaires pay inheritance tax and if we are elected - as I hope we will be - it will be in our manifesto and we will reduce inheritance tax during that Parliament." | He told BBC Radio 4's Today: "We intend to make sure that only millionaires pay inheritance tax and if we are elected - as I hope we will be - it will be in our manifesto and we will reduce inheritance tax during that Parliament." |
| Philip Hammond, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, also said the commitment to reducing the tax remained. | Philip Hammond, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, also said the commitment to reducing the tax remained. |
| Ken Clarke: "The highest priority is tackling debt" | Ken Clarke: "The highest priority is tackling debt" |
| He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's very important that we restore some confidence in politics. And that means that when we make a commitment, we stick by that commitment. | He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's very important that we restore some confidence in politics. And that means that when we make a commitment, we stick by that commitment. |
| "And we've made it very clear that this commitment will be in our manifesto and a Conservative government will implement it in its first term." | "And we've made it very clear that this commitment will be in our manifesto and a Conservative government will implement it in its first term." |
| On Sunday lunchtime Mr Clarke told BBC One's Politics Show the priority was to stabilise public finances in a way which hopefully did not necessitate tax rises for most people. | On Sunday lunchtime Mr Clarke told BBC One's Politics Show the priority was to stabilise public finances in a way which hopefully did not necessitate tax rises for most people. |
| He said raising current inheritance tax thresholds was an "aspiration" which the party retained and hoped to get around to "sooner or later". | He said raising current inheritance tax thresholds was an "aspiration" which the party retained and hoped to get around to "sooner or later". |
| Lord Mandelson said in response: "Ken Clarke's comments have thrown [shadow chancellor] George Osborne's tax plans into confusion." | Lord Mandelson said in response: "Ken Clarke's comments have thrown [shadow chancellor] George Osborne's tax plans into confusion." |
| The Tories' proposal in 2007 to cut inheritance tax was seen as a key point in reviving party fortunes. It was estimated at the time to cost £3.1bn. It was to be paid for out of the money raised by bringing in a £25,000-per-year charge for "non-domicile" taxpayers. |