Clegg urges Labour MPs not to be bribed by 10p tax half-measures

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Apr 2008

Nick Clegg MP: Parliament should send a clear message that we do not believe that the poor should be targeted to pay for tax cuts for the better off.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has written to Labour MPs urging them not to be bribed by the Government's 'last minute smoke and mirror promises' and instead vote for the Liberal Democrat amendment against the plan to double the 10p rate of tax.

The unspecified measures announced last week by the Government won't come into effect until November at the earliest, and will not help all of the millions of people affected by the original change.

In his email to Labour MPs, Nick Clegg said:

"I strongly hope that, for the benefit of many thousands of your constituents, you will join us in a cross-party effort to defeat this punitive tax change.

"There has still been no commitment to ensure that all people made worse off by this tax rise will be fully compensated.

"Regardless of whether the Treasury back-dates any future compensation payment, this will still mean low paid workers will be out of pocket for at least the next seven months.

"Parliament should send a clear message that we do not believe that the poor should be targeted to pay for tax cuts for the better off."