New leader hints at tax rises to protectpublic services

New Labour leader Ed Miliband last night gave his strongest signal yet that he would put up taxes in order to protect public services from spending cuts.

Mr Miliband said that he would raise taxes further than former Chancellor Alistair Darling had been planning in the previous Labour government in order to pay off Britain’s record deficit.

Under Mr Darling’s deficit reduction plan, two thirds would have come from spending cuts and one third from taxation.

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But in an interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Miliband said that he would shift the burden towards higher taxation.

“We should look to do more from taxation. For example, taking more from banks or tackling tax avoidance,” he said.

“If we can protect ordinary families with higher taxes on banks, of course we should. If I was in government at the moment, I would be looking – whether it is a tax on the banks or tackling tax avoidance – to lighten the load and the cuts and the impact that it is going to have on ordinary families.”