• Manston diphtheria scandal: Braverman must resign
• Stealth Tax: Lib Dems propose law forcing Government to write to every taxpayer facing a tax rise

Manston diphtheria scandal: Braverman must resign

Responding to the Sunday Times report of 70 suspected cases of diphtheria among asylum seekers moved from the Manston facility as well as a suspected untreated gunshot wound, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP, said:

Liberal Democrats in the Commons and Lords have been questioning Ministers and repeatedly received assurances on the quality of healthcare for asylum seekers.



The UK is better than this. The Conservative Government should be ashamed of their callous complacency over the health and well-being of asylum seekers coming out of Manston.



This is more than an outrage. This is a scandal. Suella Braverman must take responsibility and resign immediately.

Stealth Tax: Lib Dems propose law forcing Government to write to every taxpayer facing a tax rise

The Liberal Democrats will table an amendment to the Finance Bill tomorrow (Monday 28th November) which would force the Government to write to every taxpayer in the country hit by the income tax threshold freeze. The Finance Bill implements measures announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement.

If the amendment is passed, taxpayers would be informed by the Government if they’ve been dragged into a higher rate of tax and if so, by how much it will set them back.

It follows the Chancellor freezing the income tax thresholds in the Autumn Statement through the 2027-28 financial year. The stealth tax freezes the point at which someone starts paying the basic rate of tax at £12,571, which will add to the tax bill of anyone earning above this amount. The threshold for the higher 40p rate of tax has also been frozen at £50,271.

The stealth tax will also drag around six million people into a higher tax band, as salaries rise to match inflation while thresholds stay frozen. 3.2 million will be dragged into paying basic rate tax and 2.6 million will be pulled into higher rate tax.

As part of the statement, it was confirmed that living standards are falling at the fastest pace on record, as households have less disposable income.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney said:

Families up and down the country are being forced into impossible choices after being hit by grossly unfair tax hikes, on top of energy bills and mortgages spiralling.

Instead of sneaking these tax rises in through the back door, the Government should write to every family in the country to spell out exactly how much this stealth tax raid will cost them. Families will need to budget for this on top of every other bill rise.

The country will never forgive Jeremy Hunt and the Conservative party for crashing the economy and adding fuel to the fire of this cost of living crisis. They have burned all economic credibility and will forever be known as the party of unfair tax hikes.