Spending and Taxation

Since becoming a political party in 1988 the Liberal Democratic Party has been known to be in favour of raising taxes that would be spent on services for the public. This also includes the decentralisation of some government departments.

The Lib Dems are in favour of lowering taxes on the middle and lower classes that would be funded by cutting government spending. This funding would also increase the taxation on those who earn the top 10%, as well as increasing green taxation on companies that do not work to better the environment.

In the 1990s, the Lib Dems were in favour of increasing the tax rate to one percent across the board, allowing for more public spending in education. Tony Blair and his Labour government accomplished the same objective by increasing the national insurance contributions by the same amount so the Lib Dems dropped this attempt.

Lib Dems have always supported free education including university fees, and have worked in recent years to set up a system of Government aid in the form of grants for students. The Lib Dems would like to see equal access for all people to top schools including universities.

Desiring to spend 2.5 billion to fund the poorest of students attending private schools, as well as cut the class size in primary schools, this allows the secondary schools to be funded at the level of specialist schools. Lib Dems would also like to eradicate exams for seven year olds and fourteen year olds, banning the MPs (Ministers of Parliament) from implementing directives on schools slimming down curriculum and changing testing requirements.