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David Cameron's marriage tax break plan under fire Conservatives bring forward second phase of Help to Buy
(35 minutes later)
Tory plans for a married couples tax break have come under attack from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives have announced key plans on tax and mortgages ahead of their party conference in Manchester.
The prime minister said four million couples would benefit from a £1,000 transferable tax allowance from 2015. David Cameron said a scheme to help people in England buy a home will begin next week, three months early.
Labour said Mr Cameron was "out of touch" while his Lib Dem coalition partners accused him of favouring "one type of family". The second phase of Help to Buy, originally due in January, will allow people to take out 95% mortgages.
The scheme was unveiled as Conservative Party members gathered in Manchester for their annual conference. Meanwhile, proposals for tax breaks for some married couples and civil partners have come under attack from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
The tax break would apply if couples are both basic rate tax payers with one spouse earning less than the personal allowance, which will be just over £10,000 in 2015 and would also include 15,000 couples in civil partnerships. Other policy announcements are set to include a crackdown on welfare payments and an expansion of free schools.
The basic tax rate of 20% is currently in place for up to £32,010 of taxable income. That means that - including a personal allowance - at current rates people would have to earn less than £41,451 a year to be eligible. 'Caps on aspiration'
'Support and sacrifice' The Help to Buy initiative, which applies to England only, aims to make it easier to afford a deposit for a property.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Cameron said: "There is something special about marriage: it's a declaration of commitment, responsibility and stability that helps to bind families. The government will guarantee 15% of a mortgage, allowing lenders to provide up to 95% mortgages at reduced risk.
"The values of marriage are give and take, support and sacrifice - values that we need more of in this country." In an interview in the Sun on Sunday, the prime minister said he was eager to get young people on the housing ladder.
He later tweeted: "The £1000 marriage tax allowance will apply to straight and gay couples, as well as civil partners. Love is love, commitment is commitment." Mr Cameron said: "The need is now. I have always wanted this to come in and frankly the earlier the better.
Mr Cameron said stay-at-home mothers and women who worked part-time would be the main winners. "What concerns me is that you can't buy a house or a flat even if you are doing OK, you have got decent job prospects and good earnings.
Under the coalition agreement, the Liberal Democrats would not be able to vote against the measure in any parliamentary vote but could abstain. "I am not prepared to be a prime minister of a country with caps on aspiration."
The party's Treasury spokesman Stephen Williams branded the move "a tax cut for some, paid for by everyone else". Mr Cameron said introducing tax breaks would mean four million married couples and civil partnerships - those paying lower tax rates - could be up to £200 a year better off from April 2015.
He said: "You don't build a fairer society by using the tax system to favour one type of family over another. The tax break would apply if couples are both basic rate tax payers with one spouse earning less than the personal allowance, which will be just over £10,000 in 2015 and would include 15,000 couples in civil partnerships.
"We should support all families, not just the minority of married ones where one person stays at home." The basic tax rate of 20% is currently in place for up to £32,010 of taxable income.
That means that - including a personal allowance - at current rates people would have to earn less than £41,451 a year to be eligible.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Cameron described marriage as a "great institution".
The prime minister has said stay-at-home mothers and women who worked part-time would be the main winners.
'Out of touch'
Under a deal with the Liberal Democrats, they would not be able to vote against the measure in any parliamentary vote but could abstain.
Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Stephen Williams branded the move "a tax cut for some, paid for by everyone else".
Labour said the Conservatives were "out of touch" and the move was outweighed by higher VAT and cuts to child benefit and tax credits.Labour said the Conservatives were "out of touch" and the move was outweighed by higher VAT and cuts to child benefit and tax credits.
Ed Miliband's party said around two-thirds of married couples would not save money under the plans, including higher rate taxpayers and couples in which both partners earn more than the personal allowance. It added that two-thirds of married couples would not benefit from the £1,000 transferable tax allowance.
Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves said: "The vast majority of children will see their parents get not a single extra penny from this so if you are a mum and dad and you're both earning £20,000-£25,000 a year, so on average earnings, you won't get any extra support. Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves said: "The vast majority of children will see their parents get not a single extra penny from this so if you are a mum and dad and you're both earning £20,000 to £25,000 a year - so on average earnings - you won't get any extra support.
"So it's not a proper tax allowance for married couples. And even for those who do benefit it's just £3.85 a week.""So it's not a proper tax allowance for married couples. And even for those who do benefit it's just £3.85 a week."
But Conservative Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the policy recognised the value of the institution of marriage. But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the policy recognised the value of the institution of marriage.
"It is an institution that is the building block of our society and we want to recognise that and this is a measure that's going to help four million hard working couples where life is pretty tough."
Welfare crackdown
Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP for South Suffolk, told BBC Radio Suffolk that while he welcomed any institutions that support stability in society, in 2013 marriage "is not the only model for a family".Tim Yeo, the Conservative MP for South Suffolk, told BBC Radio Suffolk that while he welcomed any institutions that support stability in society, in 2013 marriage "is not the only model for a family".
"I don't see why, for example, someone who has been widowed, whether it's a man or a woman, at a young age, and is trying to bring up children perhaps on a relatively low income, I regret the fact that the current proposal may exclude those people," he said. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond also announced plans to offer interest-free home loans to armed forces personnel.
On the eve of the conference in Manchester, BBC Political Correspondent Iain Watson said the Tories would be trying to convince swing voters that they should be the party of choice for hard-working families. On the eve of the conference, BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the Tories would be trying to convince swing voters that they should be the party of choice for hard-working families.
Other policy announcements are expected to include a crackdown on welfare payments and an expansion of Education Secretary Michael Gove's free schools programme. The conference will open on Sunday with a tribute to former Prime Minster Baroness Thatcher, who died aged 87 in April, and close with Mr Cameron's keynote speech on Wednesday.
The conference will open with a tribute to Baroness Thatcher, who died aged 87 in April, and close with Mr Cameron's keynote speech on Wednesday.
On the eve of the conference, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond also announced a plan to offer interest-free home loans to armed forces personnel.
It has been suggested the Lib Dems were able to announce plans for every child in England between reception and year two to get free school lunches in exchange for the Conservative's proposed tax break.
The free school meals policy will begin in September next year and will be worth about £437 per child.