UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid Calls for More Tax Cuts
In early June, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid made headlines by calling for more tax cuts. Now that Boris Johnson is officially resigning as Prime Minister, Javid is a top candidate for the post. As part of his candidacy, he’s outlined a potential tax-cutting plan.
Javid’s Statements in June 2022
On June 8, Javid talked to the Today program on BBC Radio 4. He said, “I’d like to see us do more on tax cuts.” He went on to say, “I’m someone just like, I think, every member of the government, all [of] my colleagues, we want to see taxes as low as possible.”
At the time, Javid said he was happy about the existing targeted tax cuts. He was referring to the latest budget, which would have about 70 percent of people pay less in national insurance.
Javid acknowledged that the pandemic was affecting the tax burden. However, he also said that he’d like cuts “where they’re possible.”
More Recent Statements
At the time of Javid’s statements in June, it was still unclear whether Boris Johnson would remain Prime Minister. Now that the position is open, Javid has confirmed his stance on taxes as a campaign pitch.
On July 11th, he announced some of the tax cuts and other budgetary changes he would make as Prime Minister. This would include an emergency budget to help households that were hit the hardest by the increased cost of living.
In terms of tax cuts, Javid promises an income tax cut. He also promises to stop the increase of corporate taxes. Additionally, he would get rid of the increase in contributions to social security. Yet another tax cut includes reducing the fuel duty by 10 pence per liter. On top of that, he would launch a 5-billion-pound package that would reduce energy bills.
Why Javid Supports Tax Cuts
In his past criticisms of taxes as well as his current campaign, Javid highlights that the tax cuts would benefit families. He specifically says that they should help reduce the impact of inflation on families.
Javid Faces Tax Criticisms as Well
Tax cuts are not the only tax-related reason that Javid has been in the news recently. In early June, the Labour party called for the HMRC to investigate his tax affairs. They claimed that he may have avoided paying taxes totally hundreds of thousands of pounds. So far, these claims have not been investigated.
Conclusion
Sajid Javid has publicly called for UK tax cuts for several months now. They are now a key part of his campaign platform as he hopes to become the next Prime Minister.
Sources:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sajid-javid-tax-labour-hmrc-b2096019.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-javid-sets-out-tax-cutting-plan-pitch-be-pm-2022-07-11/
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