Taxes

Debate between Lord Bridges of Headley and Lord Livermore

Tuesday 15th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question. It was premised on a hypothetical, and I am not going to speculate on the next Budget now. I absolutely understand the issues that she is raising, and I am very happy to take those points back to my colleagues in the Treasury.

[Lord Bridges of Headley (Con)]

My Lords, the Minister has said several times in this Chamber that the Government have no present plans to introduce a tourism levy. Will he repeat the same pledge about a wealth tax?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question, and I should start by wishing him a very happy birthday. I have said what I have said on tax. I am not going to give a running commentary on the fiscal forecast, nor am I going to speculate on tax rises now. As I said, we will do things in the usual way. The Chancellor will ask the OBR to produce a new forecast in the autumn for the annual Budget and will take decisions on that based on that forecast.

Tax on Imports under £135

Debate between Lord Bridges of Headley and Lord Livermore

Monday 14th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

The Department for Business and Trade has set out our measures to try and prevent that from happening, and it will continue to monitor it, as you would expect it to.

[Lord Bridges of Headley (Con)]

My Lords, broadening the topic on taxation a little, at the weekend the Transport Secretary said that in Labour’s manifesto it committed not to put up taxes on people on modest incomes. Can the noble Lord tell us the Treasury’s definition of a modest income?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

The Government have pledged not to increase taxes on working people, which is why we are not increasing income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT.