THE Liberal Democrats have lashed out at the "brazen" attempts of the Tories to claim sole credit for taking millions out of tax as the two Coalition partners clashed on who was the true party of aspiration.
David Cameron used a campaign speech in a Lib Dem/Tory marginal in Hampshire to focus on tax and the promise of a £7bn cut as a "reward" for the nation's sacrifice during the recession while his colleague Chancellor George Osborne hit the campaign trail in Devon and Cornwall, where he visited a college in Taunton and fishermen in Newquay, to talk up the success of the Conservatives' "long-term economic plan".
While there were no details as to where the promised Tory £7bn tax cut would come from other than from the proceeds of growth, the Prime Minister pointed to the Coalition's track record of reducing the deficit while simultaneously cutting taxes.
"Under this Government, we've cut the deficit. We've had to make difficult decisions on spending to do that. But we have cut income tax at the same time and we can do it again in the next Parliament," he declared.
The PM confirmed plans for a further £30bn of spending cuts if Tories won power in May, including £13bn from Whitehall department spending, £12bn from welfare and £5bn from cracking down on aggressive tax avoidance.
Declaring how there was an economic, moral and practical case for cutting taxes, he insisted the Tories were the "low tax, tax-cutting party" and branded the Lib Dems and Labour as the "enemies of aspiration" for wanting to tax people more.
"After the security of a job, the next best thing we can do is to cut people's taxes and let them keep more of their own money to spend as they choose. That's our aim," insisted the party leader.
The PM restated promises made at last year's Conservative conference to raise the personal allowance threshold, below which workers pay no income tax, to £12,500, which would take another million people out of paying tax altogether, and to "back aspiration" by increasing to £50,000 the level at which the 40p tax rate kicks in, taking out 800,000 people out of that rate.
Mr Cameron said May's election offered a clear choice between "whether we have a government with competence, with grip, with a long-term economic plan, or whether we have the chaos of Ed Miliband in Downing Street and all that would mean".
But Nick Clegg hit back, branding the Tory attempt to claim credit for the rise in the tax-free personal allowance as "pretty brazen" and something "everyone will see through" given it had only been delivered because of the Liberal Democrats.
"I remember very well before the last General Election, David Cameron saying it was unaffordable and we couldn't deliver these huge tax changes. We've done it because I've insisted, the Liberal Democrats have insisted, at every single Budget that we should raise the point at which people start paying income tax."
In Scotland, his colleague Danny Alexander, referred to "Liberal Democrat income tax cuts" and how more than 2.7m people would be taken out of tax altogether.
"David Cameron should remember that at the last election he told the nation this couldn't be done. He was wrong. It has been done but only because the Lib Dems are leading the Coalition's tax policy."
Insisting he and his party colleagues had to battle every inch of the way to deliver this huge tax cut, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: "If David Cameron wants to see an enemy of aspiration, he should hold a mirror up to his own party. He would see a party that wants to cut public spending way beyond what is needed to balance the books, including on education, which is the key to unlocking the aspirations of future generations.
"He would see a party that believes only working people should contribute to the next phase of deficit reduction and whose instincts are to focus tax cuts on the best off."
The Highland MP added: "The Tories offer aspiration only for the richest, the Liberal Democrats are delivering opportunity for everyone."
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