Tax Row Leaves David Cameron and Nick Clegg At War over Married Couples

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Coalition truce between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats broke into open conflict yesterday over David Cameron’s promise to give tax breaks to married couples.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, denounced the proposal and insisted that couples married for love, not to “get some cash back from the state”.

While Liberal Democrat colleagues supported Mr Clegg’s robust stance against traditional Conservative values, senior Tories insisted they would continue to campaign for the protection of the special status of marriage.

Mr Clegg will set out his views in detail in a keynote speech today, in which he roundly criticises the “oppressive” influence of social conservatisim.

Speaking to the Murnaghan programme on Sky News, yesterday Mr Clegg claimed he was not “against marriage”.

“Getting married is probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “But just as a liberal I think there are limits to how the state and government should try to micromanage or incentivise people’s own behaviour in their private lives. » | Tim Ross, Political Correspondent | Sunday, December 18, 2011

This is not a question of preserving 1950s values "in aspic". This is a question of preserving the family and giving children stable homes in which to grow up. Whilst Nick Clegg can be right on some issues, he is simply wrong on this one. Let us do everything to preserve the family – an institution which has served us so well over the centuries. – © Mark

Tories Downgrade Their Promises on Tax Breaks for Married Couples
TIMES ONLINE: The Tories have downgraded their promise of tax breaks to married couples, saying that due to the dire state of the public finances it will only be possible to offer a limited scheme.

Previously the policy had been a headline pledge for the Tories, with David Cameron expressing strong support for the idea as something that the party "will definitely do".

The scheme that the Tories have favoured up till now was to allow spouses to transfer their income tax personal allowances to one another, likely to be of particular benefit to higher income couples where one partner does not work.

But with Treasury figures suggesting that such a scheme would cost £4.9 billion to implement, the shadow chief secretary to the treasury has said that the Conservatives were likely to opt initially for a more limited scheme. >>> Jenny Booth | Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Ken, You’re Losing It!
Ken Clarke, a known Europhile, was recently brought back into the Conservative fold. He has spoken out against the married couple's allowance. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron's decision to bring back Ken Clarke was called into question after it emerged the new shadow business secretary had condemned a key plank of his Tory social policy.

Mr Clarke apparently dismissed the idea of encouraging marriage through the tax system as "social engineering", and warned that the Tory leader was taking on the attitudes of the American "religious right".

The explosive comments – reported to have been made at a seminar in Nottingham last month, before he joined the shadow cabinet – will heighten speculation of major differences between the former chancellor and his new boss.

Mr Clarke was brought back by Mr Cameron earlier this month to bolster his economic team during the global financial crisis.

The well-known Europhile pledged he would not seek to change the party's sceptical position on the EU.

But last week remarks emerged from the same event at Nottingham University in which he warned that Mr Cameron risked looking like a "right-wing nationalist" because of his stance on Europe.

And, according to website www.publicservice.co.uk, he also criticised social issues.

Speaking about his time as Chancellor he told the conference, "I got rid of the married couples allowance.

"I really don't think it's anything to do with politicians whether you (get married) and most of the younger people I know don't seem very keen on it.

"My view of Conservatism is that it's not for us to tell you (what to do through) the tax system – my wife didn't put up with me because I was getting £150 by way of tax allowance.

"This is social engineering, for God's sake, and when I joined the party we weren't in favour of it." Ken Clarke 'Dismissed' David Cameron's Marriage Policy >>> | Tuesday, January 27, 2009

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