"To pick on a small group of people is not the basis of a tax policy," the former Transport Secretary said. Why was it timed to come in before the election next year, "when this is clearly political positioning rather than a principled or strategic approach to taxation."
"It was an elephant trap so large that even the most myopic old tusker could see it," he said, and should be opposed because "it is damaging to the Labour party in Government. It breaks a key manifesto pledge which the party will regret for many years to come." If it was so important, it should have been introduced after the election to avoid breaching a manifesto pledge. Instead it was done for "cynical political reasons". He finished: "Is it a short term or a permanent measure? The Chancellor had implied it was short term. Others in the Cabinet disagreed."
Quotes attributed to former Cabinet minister Stephen Byers, and was lifted from Brogans Blog.
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