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| Ken Clarke dismisses tax 'hoo-ha' | |
| (1 day later) | |
| Shadow business secretary Ken Clarke has dismissed as a "media hoo-ha" the row over Tory inheritance tax policy. | |
| He said he accepted he should not have described the party's plan to scrap the tax on estates under £1m as an "aspiration" rather than a "promise". | He said he accepted he should not have described the party's plan to scrap the tax on estates under £1m as an "aspiration" rather than a "promise". |
| Party leaders restated their commitment to the plan, after his comments were interpreted as a sign of backtracking. | Party leaders restated their commitment to the plan, after his comments were interpreted as a sign of backtracking. |
| Chief Treasury Secretary Yvette Cooper said Mr Clarke was "causing political carnage in the Conservative Party". | Chief Treasury Secretary Yvette Cooper said Mr Clarke was "causing political carnage in the Conservative Party". |
| On Wednesday, Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 5 Live that it had been a "completely artificial row" on a "thin Sunday" for news, following his comments to the BBC's Politics Show. | On Wednesday, Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 5 Live that it had been a "completely artificial row" on a "thin Sunday" for news, following his comments to the BBC's Politics Show. |
| "I can't for the life of me see that I said anything significantly different from my colleagues. | "I can't for the life of me see that I said anything significantly different from my colleagues. |
| "Real people will have difficulty understanding what on earth the difference is between my saying it is an 'aspiration' and someone else saying it's a 'promise'." | "Real people will have difficulty understanding what on earth the difference is between my saying it is an 'aspiration' and someone else saying it's a 'promise'." |
| But he then added: "There's a mild difference in weight, I agree, for the chattering classes, the people who go in for the 24-hour seven-day-a-week frenzy over politics... and as a politician I should not have used the word 'aspiration'." | But he then added: "There's a mild difference in weight, I agree, for the chattering classes, the people who go in for the 24-hour seven-day-a-week frenzy over politics... and as a politician I should not have used the word 'aspiration'." |
| Key point | Key point |
| He said that he travelled from Cardiff to Dublin via Heathrow after the programme before being told of the "daft mayhem" his interview had prompted. | He said that he travelled from Cardiff to Dublin via Heathrow after the programme before being told of the "daft mayhem" his interview had prompted. |
| He put out a clarifying statement denying any differences or changes to party policy: "But once the media gets into one of their hoo-has - it was absolutely classic 24-hour media hysteria, and nobody can now think quite what the problem was. | He put out a clarifying statement denying any differences or changes to party policy: "But once the media gets into one of their hoo-has - it was absolutely classic 24-hour media hysteria, and nobody can now think quite what the problem was. |
| "Within a parliament we will implement the promise. We are committed to it and that is what we will do." | "Within a parliament we will implement the promise. We are committed to it and that is what we will do." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 'Giveaway' | 'Giveaway' |
| At the time, inheritance tax was being charged at 40% on assets worth more than £300,000 that someone left behind when they died, unless left to a spouse. | At the time, inheritance tax was being charged at 40% on assets worth more than £300,000 that someone left behind when they died, unless left to a spouse. |
| A week after the Conservatives unveiled the proposal, Chancellor Alistair Darling doubled the inheritance tax threshold for married couples to £600,000. | A week after the Conservatives unveiled the proposal, Chancellor Alistair Darling doubled the inheritance tax threshold for married couples to £600,000. |
| On Wednesday, Ms Cooper said: "Ken Clarke is causing political carnage in the Conservative Party once again by coming clean on the Tory tax giveaway for millionaires. | On Wednesday, Ms Cooper said: "Ken Clarke is causing political carnage in the Conservative Party once again by coming clean on the Tory tax giveaway for millionaires. |
| "It's as if he is trying to sabotage the policy," she said. | "It's as if he is trying to sabotage the policy," she said. |
| "The Tories need to come clean: if they can't fund their policy from non-doms, then what public services will they cut to give £200,000 each to 3,000 millionaires?" | "The Tories need to come clean: if they can't fund their policy from non-doms, then what public services will they cut to give £200,000 each to 3,000 millionaires?" |