GB News issued a breaking news bulletin on Wednesday about an increase in the number of British taxpayers paying income tax, drawing criticism of Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Benjamin Elks, grassroots development manager for The TaxPayers' Alliance, appeared on the programme with presenter Martin Daubney. He said that after analysing HMRC data, his team had discovered "that this year, we can expect to see a million more people paying income tax, compared to the last year."
Average taxpayer paying £640 more
Elks declared that the average taxpayer is set to pay £640 more in income tax than just two years ago, noting that this "is having a real impact on people at the worst possible time."
"It's really disappointing, actually, for Andy Burnham to bring this up and to row back so quickly on it. He himself cited that this was the thing that was brought up most often on the doorsteps in Makerfield, so he knows that this is an issue for people," Elks continued.
"As people get their ordinary pay rises, they are pulled into higher and higher tax brackets," he remarked. "This is a huge amount of money that people are having to give over to the treasury."
Burnham's new policies
After entering 10 Downing Street on Monday, Burnham announced policies to tackle the cost of living crisis. He confirmed that VAT will be cut from household energy bills, potentially saving households around £45 a year. He also revealed that single bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January 1, 2027.
"For too long, people have said that cheaper transport isn't an option. I don't accept that. I've done it before, and I will do it again now: a £2 cap on bus fares for millions across the country," Burnham said in a statement. "Lower fares will help people get to where they need to - giving them breathing space to help with the cost of living."
