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Gaffe of the Day
George Osborne on the Andrew Marr Show
George Osborne was asked fifteen times on the Andrew Marr Show where the Conservatives would find the extra £8 billion per year of funding for the NHS they have promised. During a heated exchange, the Chancellor was challenged to say whether other public services, including the police, defence and local government, would have to face extra cuts to pay for this latest promise.
Manifesto Watch
In a week of manifesto launches, Connect has a preview of Labours’ manifesto today:
Ed Miliband will today launch the Labour Party’s manifesto ‘Protecting Our Nation’s Finances, Improving Family Finances’. At the launch he will claim that at the heart of the manifesto, and his ambition to lead the country, is a single idea: that Britain only succeeds when working families succeed. Labour have also guaranteed that every policy in the manifesto will be paid for without requiring any additional borrowing and, if elected, the first line of the Labour Government’s first Budget will be that it “cuts the deficit every year”. He will further argue that this election campaign has demonstrated how Labour is “now not only the party of change but also the party of responsibility”.
PPC Watch: Jessica Asato
As the Labour Party launch their manifesto we look at a key target seat for the party...
A high profile candidate, Jess is the Chair of the Fabian Society, a left-wing think tank, and Vice-Chair of the Electoral Reform Society. She was also lucky enough to be one of the 15 Labour candidates to be given financial support of £10,000 by the former Liberal Democrat Lord Oakeshott in January, which reaffirms Labour’s belief Norwich North is a key seat to win if they are to gain a majority in May. Controversially, she was forced to resign as a councillor on Islington London Borough Council in 2013 in order to spend more time in Norwich. She is currently married to her third husband, a marine engineer.
Norwich North is traditionally a Labour seat but was taken by the Conservative Chloe Smith in the 2009 by-election, following the Labour MP Ian Gibson’s standing down after the expenses scandal. The seat will be closely fought with Chloe Smith defending a majority of 3,901.
Tweet of the Day
Sky News Political Editor on the Labour campaign trail:
“Soap opera? Labour to launch manifesto on the old Granada Coronation Street set #ge2015” @faisalislam
In Case You Missed It
The key announcements made over the weekend…
The Chancellor of Exchequer, George Osborne has written in the Guardian, pledging to guarantee an extra £8 billion in funding for the NHS in England by 2020, should the Conservatives remain in power after the General Election. Facing criticism that the pledge is unfunded, Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt responded that the party is “absolutely confident” in its ability to follow through on this commitment.
The Shadow Chancellor of Exchequer, Ed Balls has said that a Labour government would set a new target for the Treasury and HMRC to cut tax avoidance and evasion by at least £7.5 billion a year in the next Parliament and a ten point plan to help deliver achieve this.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron has announced that if the Conservatives were elected, a new £175,000 inheritance tax allowance would be introduced, allowing parents to pass property onto their children tax-free after death. The new allowance would be gradually reduced for properties valued over £2 million, meaning that those with homes worth over £2.35 million would not benefit.
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