This week four of the Crewe and Nantwich candidates turn their attention to their taxation policies. Next week, the day before the General Election, they will be giving their final pitch on why they think you should vote for them in the following day’s poll.

All the candidates standing at the General Election have been invited to spell out their views on set topics every week. Several have chosen not to participate and are presenting their campaign in the manner which best suits them.

ONLY a week to go now, so I think it’s right that in this issue we focus on the major dividing line for all three parties.

The choice the public makes on taxation at this election will have a huge impact on everyone on our society. There are many Conservative taxation policies I could highlight – cutting corporation tax and a council tax freeze amongst them – but I’ll focus on just three.

Under the Conservatives only the very rich – the millionaires – will pay inheritance tax. This was a policy so popular with the public that Labour brought out a watered-down version almost instantly.

Labour talk about this policy in petty class-war terms. The fact is that inheritance tax is unfair, no one should be taxed twice, and money should be able to be passed on unhindered once a loved one has passed away to invest in property, small businesses, new jobs – and help pull the UK out of its current financial position. Freeing up this money benefits us all.

Secondly, we will reverse Labour’s promised Jobs Tax – a crippling rise in national insurance – for everyone earning £35,000 a year or less.

This will have a direct impact on Crewe and Nantwich. Everyone knows that here, with unemployment levels much higher than when Labour came into government in 1997, we need new jobs.

Conservatives want to create jobs, not tax them.

Thirdly, and perhaps most unusually, bingo tax. Bingo is still taxed at an unfairly high rate, and the Chancellor has acknowledged this but not gone so far as to correct this travesty fully.

There are 20,000 of you in Crewe and Nantwich who enjoy socialising at Mecca Bingo and I’ll continue to press on your behalf for a fairer deal.

Gordon Brown has been a taxation disaster for our part of Cheshire. The 10p tax was only the most famous fiasco. Don’t give him five more years.

LIBERAL Democrats are committed to a major rebalancing of the tax system that will see the large majority of full-time workers paying much less income tax.

Under our proposals, the first £10,000 you earn will be free of tax. This will mean average savings of £700 per year (roughly £14 per week). Many pensioners will also see their tax bills cut.

But, given Labour’s financial crisis, we cannot afford to reduce the total amount of tax collected, so who will pay more?

The increases will mainly affect the very wealthy.

For example, capital gains will be taxed at the same rate as income, tax relief on pensions will be reduced for people who pay the higher rate of tax and we will clamp down on tax evasion.

This is a realistic, costed plan that will make a real difference to tens of millions of people.

The Conservatives will promise you no rise in Council Tax for two years. Seems a nice idea but which of the services so many people rely on will Cheshire East be forced to cut?

They also promise that very rich people will not pay inheritance tax, which I am sure you are pleased about.

Their married couple’s tax allowance will provide some people with an extra £150 pa: our much fairer plan will see far more people benefit by £700 pa.

Labour’s plan to raise Employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) by 1% and Employees’ NICs for everyone earning over £20,000 by 1%, will be reversed as soon as we can.

It would be irresponsible to reverse it until the nation’s budget deficit has been reduced.

Imagine what it would be like to have a truly fair tax system. Then, instead of just imagining it, vote for it!

IF THERE is anything that the British people pay too much of it is tax!

Value added tax, income tax, council tax, fuel duty and inheritance tax are just a few ways that the government takes money from hard-working members of society. We pay too much tax and it’s time for a change.

The Tax Payers Alliance estimates that membership of the European Union costs the UK £120 billion a year.

By leaving the EU that money can be used to fund the tax cuts that UKIP proposes – and no jobs or trade would be lost in the process.

UKIP will take all minimum wage earners out of tax by raising the income tax threshold to £11,500.

A flat tax of 31% after the threshold would incorporate existing income tax bands with Employees’ National Insurance contributions.

Employers’ National Insurance contributions – or the ‘tax on jobs’ as it is now commonly known – would be phased out over a five-year period stimulating the creation of more jobs.

Council tax would be cut and the deficit recovered by cutting non-jobs and scrapping various EU laws such as the landfill tax that costs councils on average £3m a year.

VAT would be replaced with a local sales tax. Although collected in the same way, a proportion of the tax would go to councils.

Inheritance tax would be abolished. This is a tax that is unfair to everybody except the relatively wealthy.

No other political party can offer tax cuts of this level. Unlike the three failed old parties, UKIP is the only party to put people first.

LABOUR will continue supporting the economy to strengthen the recovery and take the action necessary to promote growth and jobs.

It would be a huge mistake to cut support while the recovery is so fragile – but when it strengthens, we’ll take action to reduce the deficit, more than halving it over four years.

Reducing the deficit will come from a combination of tax, public spending cuts and economic growth.

We will act fairly, those who are most able to bear the burden make the greatest contribution.

That means tax increases for those who can afford them, with a new 50p top rate for people earning over £150,000 (the top 1% of earners).

For people on over £100,000 a year (the top 2%), we will gradually remove their personal tax-free allowances.

Tax relief on pensions will be restricted from next year, but again only for those with incomes above £130,000 a year.

Labour used a VAT cut to promote demand and help businesses during the critical stage of the recession.

Labour’s tax cuts have raised real incomes at a critical time and helped stimulate the economy.

Whereas Labour has made tough choices about how to reduce the deficit fairly, the Conservatives have prioritised big tax cuts for the wealthy few, at the same time as taking support away from families.

The Tories’ tax plans would hurt families on middle and modest incomes.

They have pledged to save £400m by cutting tax credits, but could only save this amount by scrapping tax credits for families on a combined income of just £31,000.

Meanwhile, the Tories are committed to an tax cut which would give £200,000 on average to 3,000 millionaires.

Only Labour offers fairness for all.