Balls claims Labour can put brake on granny tax

Labour will attempt to defeat the “granny tax”, the “pasty tax” and the abolition of the 50p tax by calling a series of Commons votes, it has said.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls insists it is not “too late” to reject the unpopular Budget measures and is calling on disgruntled coalition MPs to back the party’s bid.

Mr Balls said “it’s not right and it’s not fair” that the highest earners will benefit from the reduction in the top rate of income tax while millions of pensioners will be left worse off by Chancellor George Osborne’s measures.

He is also demanding a government rethink on the “daft” plans to impose 20 per cent VAT on pasties and other hot food.

Mr Balls wrote: “There are two Budget decisions that aren’t too late to stop.

“The £3 billion tax rises on pensioners – the so-called granny tax – which George Osborne announced last month does not kick in until next year.

“Nor does the £3bn handout which he announced for people earning over £150,000, when he cut the 50p top rate of income tax.

“That’s a tax cut of over £40,000 for 14,000 millionaires.

“How out of touch are David Cameron and George Osborne if they think millions of pensioners who’ve worked hard all their life should have to pay more tax next year so that millionaires can pay less?”

He added: “And we’ll demand that the government thinks again on its daft plan to slap 20 per cent VAT on pasties, sausage rolls and even hot cross buns.”