news election special
Why should they get your vote?
Rob Gill has read the manifestos of the major parties – so you don’t have to. He picks out the implications for travel
Conservative
Key points
Transport
■ Reform Air Passenger Duty to encourage fuller and cleaner aircraft. ■ Stop Heathrow’s third runway, instead improve the airport’s
transport links with a high-speed rail network. Plans for second runways at Stansted and Gatwick will also be blocked.
Small businesses
■ Proposing a National Loan Guarantee Scheme to give small businesses access to affordable credit. Reform of the banking system should also make credit more available. ■ Give local councils new powers to offer greater discounts on business rates. ■ New businesses will pay no employers’ National Insurance on the first 10 employees hired during their first year in business.
Taxation
■Will not go ahead with Labour’s proposed increase in National Insurance payments from April 2011. The party says this will save every employer up to £150 a year per person. ■ Cut the headline rate of corporation tax to 25p and the small companies’ rate to 20p, funded by reducing complex reliefs and allowances. ■ No mention of VAT policy.
Labour
Key points
Transport
■ Supports the third runway at Heathrow subject to conditions on environmental impact and flight numbers, but will not allow any extra runways to be
built at any other UK airport during the next Parliament. ■ No mention of changes to APD.
HOW WILL YOU USE YOUR VOTE FOR TRAVEL?
Alex Farquharson
product manager, cruise.co.uk, Worcester
Who is getting my vote?
I’m going to abstain in protest, but if I do vote, it will probably be Conservative.
Why?
Labour have wasted their time in power, and the expenses scandal has just put me off all the parties – it’s just convinced me that nothing’s
10
16.04.2010
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going to change, and it’s a waste of time voting. I find Nick Clegg the most uninspiring of all the politicians. Gordon Brown doesn’t seem to say much either. David Cameron seems to be saying the most, but no-one’s said anything that’s going to have an effect on me for personal gain.
Who did you vote for in the last election?
Conservative, because I thought they might make some positive changes.
ttglive.com
Small businesses
■ A promise to keep business taxation competitive and increase capital allowances to encourage investment. ■ Continuation of Time to Pay scheme, which allows businesses to defer tax and NI payments to help with cashflow. ■ A one-year holiday on business rates for small businesses. ■ Creation of Small Business Credit Adjudica- tor, to ensure small and medium-sized busi- nesses are not turned down unfairly for loans. ■ Unspecified promise to reduce red tape.
Taxation
■ A promise to maintain the same rates of income tax but no guarantees against raising VAT from current level of 17.5%.
Liberal Democrats
Key points
Transport
■ Replace APD with a per-plane tax (PPD). It will also introduce a higher rate of PPD on domestic flights if a realistic alternative
and less polluting travel option is available. ■ Cancel plans for third runway at Heathrow and also stop any further expansion of other airports in the south-east. ■ Require airlines to end the practice of adding hidden charges.
Small businesses
■ Set up Creative Enterprise Fund offering training, mentoring and small grants or loans to help creative businesses get off the ground. ■ Create Local Enterprise Funds to help local investors put money into growing businesses. ■ Introduce a one-year economic stimulus and job creation package. ■ Break up the big banks. Taxpayers’ represen- tatives on the state-owned banks to ensure they lend to viable businesses on fair terms. ■ Reduce red tape by properly assessing the cost and effectiveness of regulations before and after they are introduced.
Taxation
■ Reform business rates to create a system where rates are based on site values rather than rental values and are the responsibility of local authorities. Create a system where small company business rate relief is automatic. ■ Go ahead with government’s planned rise in NI, but a promise to reverse the increase when possible financially.
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