LIB DEMS CALL FOR 10p TAX JUSTICE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Jul 2009

Liberal Democrat, Conservative and rebel Labour MPs are set to vote tonight on an amendment which, if successful, could force Gordon Brown to compensate those worst hit by last year's abolition of the 10p tax rate. That decision left people earning less than £18,000 hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

Durham Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson, Carol Woods, is now calling on the City's Labour MP to use her vote to help those people who remain adversely affected.

Carol said: "Along with so many others, I was appalled by what the Government did. They essentially hiked the taxes of middle and low earners to fund tax breaks for the rich."

"Although temporary measures were brought in to help ease the burden for middle and low income households, these have now ended leaving thousands of local people seriously out of pocket.

"Now, those that can least afford it are having to pay more in income tax while also struggling to cope through this recession. They deserve to be compensated for what they have lost.

"Durham City's Labour MP shamefully voted in favour of the 10p tax axe. I am now calling on her to put local people ahead of her party this time by supporting the measures aimed at reversing the damage done.

"It tells you all you need to know about New Labour that standing up for the lowest paid now makes you a rebel. Durham's MP must do the right thing and support hard working local people. Failure to do so would be a gross failure for the people she was elected to represent."