Nigel Farage makes his pitch to the ordinary grafters of Britain
Nigel Farage arrives at today’s launch
Nigel Farage has been speaking in Thurrock. Unlike Nick Clegg he’s straight into polices on the EU and immigration. This manifesto, he says, is entitled Believe in Britain but it could be titled “believe in the British people”.
He is pitching for the 5 million “ordinary” people who run their own business. He wants to “unleash” economic dynamism by raising 40 p tax, end tax for those on minimum wage, add a new £35,000-£50,000 a year tax band and ending inheritance tax.
The Ukip leader says under the current government the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer, with corporate business running the political agenda.
He says he is offering an £18 billion tax-giveaway and that ‘history’ has shown that will unlock and economic boom. It will be funded he says by dramatic slashing aid budgets,ending Eyu contributions and stopping “vanity projects like Hs2.
The Ukip manifesto pledges have been independently verified by the thinktank CEBR which he says no other party can match. Mr Farage is making much of this and says all party’s should be held to the standard of having an independent audit on their spending.
Nigel Farage says 5 years is a long time in politics and an aeon in terms of Ukip. he congratulates Suzanne Evans and her team for producing the “excellent manifesto”.
Suzanne Evans has been speaking for longer than NIgel Farage, which commentators are suggesting is the party putting her forward and a possible successor. I profiled her earlier today.