In a major speech in Westminster, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced a series of measures that he hoped would encourage British couples to have more babies
Nigel Farage has said he would introduce tax breaks for married couples if he was elected in an attempt to get people to have more babies.
In a speech, the Reform UK leader also said he’d scrap the two-child benefit limit to try to boost birth rates. And he committed to fully reinstating the winter fuel payments in a bid to outflank Labour after Keir Starmer announced a U-turn on cuts to the allowance.
The politician said his “biggest aspiration” was for Brits to avoid paying tax on any earnings up to £20,000. Currently workers pay the 20% basic rate of income tax on everything between £12,570 and £50,270.
Mr Farage claimed he’d be able to pay for the series of expensive announcements through measures including scrapping plans to reach net zero and diversity and inclusion programmes.
The marriage tax break would reportedly exempt one spouse from paying tax on the first £25,000 of their income. The other would enjoy a tax-free income of £20,000.
A Marriage Tax Allowance currently allows spouses or civil partners, who do not pay tax, to transfer £1,260 of their tax-free personal allowance to their spouse or partner if they pay the basic rate of tax. It then lowers the higher earner’s tax bill for the year.
In a speech in Westminster, Mr Farage said he wants “to encourage people to have children, to make it easier for them to have children”.
The divorced politician said: “That is why I also believe that having a transferable tax allowance between married people is the right thing to do. Now, I know many will say, look, marriage is outdated. Most people don’t bother to get married anymore.
“And you know, I’m hardly standing here in front of you as a religious priest and moralising. I’m not sure my own track requisites are good on this, and we all lead imperfect lives.
“But what is true? What is absolutely true? The evidence is there to prove it – is that where people who are married stay together for the longest period of time, the children that grow up in those environments have the best chance of success in life.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the Tories’ two-child benefit limit hasn’t “had an impact on the decisions that people are making around family size.” “All it has done has pushed more children into poverty,” she said. The Cabinet minister added that scrapping the two-child limit was “on the table” for Labour.
It comes after the party last night launched a blistering attack on Mr Farage’s “unfunded spending pledges”. Labour said: “Nigel Farage, a private-educated stockbroker and career politician, has only ever cared about his own self-interest and personal ambition, never about what is good for working people in this country.
“His Reform manifesto included billions of pounds worth of unfunded spending pledges but did not commit to the Triple Lock. Farage must urgently clarify whether he will cut the state pension to pay for his reckless tax cuts.”
Mr Starmer last week announced he wants more pensioners to be eligible for the winter fuel allowance in a major U-turn. But the details are still unclear on who would be eligible. Mr Farage wants to fully reinstate the policy, meaning millionaire pensioners would be eligible for the up to £300 help.