M
Member
Speaking in the House of Commons on 12 January 2026
Debate
Finance (No. 2) BillContribution
Clauses 1 to 3 impose the charge of income tax and set the main default and savings rate for the next tax year, 2026-27. We should remind ourselves that income tax was meant to be a temporary tax, back in 1799. It was sold to the British public as a temporary wartime tax, but it has outlived that war, that century and every promise ever made about it. It should stand as a stark reminder that once taxes are levied, they are not always that easy to undo. There is nothing more permanent than a temporary tax.
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