Coalition amendment to Labour's mansion tax motion

The Coalition government have tabled an amendment to the Labour motion on the mansion tax and a fairer tax system which is to be debated in the House of Commons this afternoon. The Labour motion calls for a mansion tax on houses worth more than two million pounds to help bring about a fairer tax system. The Coalition say that they are bringing in a fairer tax system by lifting two million people out of income tax with the Liberal Democrat policy of raising the tax threshold to ten thousand pounds. They also claim that the highest paid are paying more under the coalition in income tax than in any of the thirteen years of Labour government. The amendment does note that the Liberal Democrats do advocate a mansion tax but the Coalition government does not. The debate will commence at 12:40 and the votes will be at 16:00.

The Labour motion:

"That this House believes that a mansion tax on properties worth over £2 million, to fund a tax cut for millions of people on middle and low incomes, should be part of a fair tax system; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals for such a tax at the earliest opportunity."

The Coalition admendment:

"leave out from ‘House’ to end and add ‘notes that this Coalition Government has cut income tax for 25 million people, taking over 2.2 million low income individuals out of income tax altogether, while at the same time increasing taxes on the wealthy, including raising stamp duty on expensive properties and restricting tax reliefs; further notes that both parts of the Coalition continue to support tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes; notes that the part of the Coalition led by the Deputy Prime Minister also advocates a mansion tax on properties worth more than £2 million, as set out in his party’s manifesto, and the part of the Coalition led by the Prime Minister does not advocate a mansion tax; and further notes that the top rate of income tax will be higher under this Government than under any year of the previous administration and that the rich are now paying a higher percentage of income tax than at any time under the previous administration, demonstrating that it presided over an unfair tax system where the rich paid less and the poor paid more in tax than now, meaning nobody will trust the Opposition’s promises on tax fairness."