British PM David Cameron pledges tax cuts for 30 million
PM pledges to put more cash in people's pockets if Tories are re-elected
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron was cheered yesterday as he pledged sweeping tax cuts for almost half the population in a pitch designed to woo voters and guarantee re-election next year.
Closing his Conservative Party's annual conference, Cameron unveiled a raft of proposals in a straight-talking, statesman-like speech which also aimed to shut down support for the UK Independence Party.
The conference in Birmingham has been overshadowed by fears of growing support for UKIP after the defection of two Conservative ministers to their side, with rumours that more could follow.
Cameron vowed to change the system so that people working 30 hours a week on the national minimum wage of £6.50 (HK$82) an hour would pay no income tax.
For those on higher incomes, he unveiled plans to raise the threshold at which people pay tax at 40 per cent from £41,900 to £50,000. The cuts, which will cost more than £7 billion, would benefit the pockets of 30 million Britons.
Addressing a packed conference hall, he said: "So Britain: what's it going to be? I say: let's not go back to square one. Let's finish what we have begun."
He added: "With the Conservatives, if you work hard and do the right thing we say you should keep more of your own money to spend as you choose."