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Thursday, May 11, 2017

May refuses to make pledges on tax and pensions

Theresa May has refused to promise not to increase taxes during a five-year term in government if she wins the General Election.

In an interview on LBC Radio, the Prime Minister said the Conservatives had no plans to put up taxes but would not give a five-year guarantee.

She also refused to give a guarantee to maintain the so-called triple lock on pensions, which means they currently go up by the rise in earnings, prices or 2.5%, whichever is higher.

Quizzed by presenter Nick Ferrari on the triple lock, she said: "Pensions will go up under a Conservative government."

She was then asked if she would put taxes up and said: "We have no plans to increase the level of tax. That's because we are a party which believes in low tax."

But asked more than once if that promise applied to a full five-year term, the Prime Minister ignored the question, signalling the promise will not be in the Tory manifesto.

In a half-hour interview, in which she took around half a dozen calls, the PM broke with her election routine and failed to mention "strong and stable government" or "coalition of chaos".

But on Brexit she appeared to slap down her predecessor David Cameron, who said earlier that it was important that she "win well" so she can stand up to people that want an "extreme Brexit".

:: Hugs and selfies as Cameron and Brown hit campaign trail

Asked if that was why she called the election, she replied: "No, the reason I called the election was because we need the security, the stability for five years of greater certainty that will take us through Brexit
and beyond.

"It is about ensuring we have got a strong negotiating hand. Every vote for me and my team will strengthen the UK's hand negotiating that Brexit.

"The reason I called the election was because we need someone who can take us through Brexit."

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