UK News 21-01-2005 who: Michael Howard what: Promises £4billion package of tax cuts where: LONDON when: Monday snippet: At a meeting of the Institute of Directors, Mr Howard promised that a Conservative government would raise tax thresholds "to take more people out of income tax," says The Times, "and stamp duty would be cut or eliminated for people joining the property ladder". He and shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin promised the Tories could save the country £35billion by cutting Whitehall bureaucracy and would be able to repay £8billion worth of debt. However, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy responded that "These savings can`t be achieved without drastic cuts in local services" and Mr Howard`s speech was undermined by the defection of former higher education minister Robert Jackson to The Labour Party. [... more]

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