Treasury has ‘got the balance right' on taxing wealthy, says Reeves
Ms Dodds, who resigned as a Foreign Office minister in February over the Government's decision to cut overseas aid to fund a defence spending boost, said the commission's work 'has changed the debate'.
Ms Reeves told the PA news agency: 'In the budget last year, we got rid of the non-domicile status in our tax system, so people who make Britain their home have to pay their taxes here.
'We introduced increased taxes on private jets, on second homes, and increased capital gains tax, so I think we've got the balance right in terms of how we tax those with the broadest shoulders, but any further decisions will be ones that are made at a budget in the normal way.'
Asked about Ms Dodds' suggestion, the Chancellor had earlier said: 'Decisions around tax are decisions that are made at a budget and we'll make those decisions in the appropriate way, but the number-one priority of this Government is to grow the economy.
'And that means bringing more investment into Britain, creating more good jobs paying decent wages here in Britain.
'We've got to get the balance right on taxation because we want that investment, we want those jobs to come here.
'That's why we're reforming the planning system, secured three trade deals in the first year of this Labour Government, cutting back on unnecessary regulation, and reforming our pension system to unlock money for businesses to be able to invest here in the UK.'
Speaking to Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction, Ms Dodds said this week that the Wealth Tax Commission 'looked at the operation of lots of different wealth tax, they looked at all of that evidence and set out how it would be possible to deliver something like that in a UK context'.
The Oxford East MP added: 'I would hope that the Treasury is considering that kind of evidence as well as other changes that have been put forward.
'We've seen the deputy leader of the Labour Party, for example, put forward suggestions. I think it's important for all of those to be considered now.'
On Ms Reeves' approach to welfare, Ms Dodds called for a 'longer-term approach' and said: 'An attempt was made to deal with a quite immediate problem, but I don't think you can, particularly via cuts, actually deliver the kind of fiscal room that is necessary.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
4 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Alex Salmond did not read independence white paper, Nicola Sturgeon claims
The 670-page long paper was prepared by the Scottish Government in the run-up to the 2014 referendum, with the aim of answering questions about independence ahead of the crucial vote. But in a TV interview ahead of the publication of her memoir Frankly, Ms Sturgeon, who was deputy first minister at the time, insisted that Mr Salmond 'really didn't engage in the work of the drafting or the compilation of the White Paper at all'. Speaking about her former boss, Ms Sturgeon said: 'He was the leader, he was the First Minister, and he hadn't read it.' She went on to tell ITV News at Ten presenter Julie Etchingham that she did 'not even know if he had read bits of it'. Ms Sturgeon recalled: 'I knew I was going to have to sit him down and say: 'Look, you're going to have to read this, and you're going to have to tell me now if there are bits you want to change, because it has to be signed off.' 'He told me he was going on a trade mission to China. I don't think I'd ever felt as much cold fury at him as I did in that moment. It just seemed to me like an abdication of responsibility.' Speaking about the white paper, which was published in November 2013, Ms Sturgeon said there had been an evening where she 'just suddenly had this overwhelming sense of impossibility'. She recalled thinking: 'I can't get this to the point it needs to be at. It's so unwieldy. It's so difficult.' Ms Sturgeon, who succeeded Mr Salmond to become first minister when he stood down after Scots voted to remain in the UK, continued: 'I just remember having what I can only describe as a panic attack. 'I was sobbing on the floor of my office at home and my heart was racing.' Her comments came as she told how she still misses Mr Salmond – who she was deputy first minister to for over seven years – 'in some way'. The pair had formed one of the most successful political partnerships in UK at the top of the SNP, but their relationship deteriorated and then broke down after sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Salmond emerged. Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020, Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges, which included attempted rape and sexual offences. In an exclusive interview with ITV News before the publication of her memoir Frankly on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said she misses the relationship she used to have with him. And she said she was hit by a 'wave of grief' after hearing of Mr Salmond's death in October last year. Ms Sturgeon said: 'Even today I still miss him in some way – the person that I used to know and the relationship we used to have. 'But I thought I had made my peace with it, that I'd got to a point where I felt nothing. 'And then I got a call to tell me that Alex Salmond had died. I started crying on the phone and I just was hit by this wave of grief … and it was complicated because obviously we weren't just no longer friends, we were political enemies. 'There was no prospect I was going to be able to go to his funeral or anything like that and it was a kind of strange, strange feeling.' Mr Salmond went on to become leader of the Alba Party, which became a frequent critic of his former party the SNP. He died suddenly of a heart attack in October in North Macedonia at the age of 69. Ms Sturgeon had not spoken to him 'for years' at that point. She said: 'I felt really deeply the loss of the relationship with him. I suddenly didn't have him. He wasn't there. I couldn't talk to him. And I went through this period of, I would still talk to him in my head. 'I would have vivid dreams that we were still on good terms. And then I'd have this feeling of such sadness when I remembered the reality. 'So, I went through that process. I still missed him in some bizarre way.' During the interview Ms Sturgeon is also asked by Ms Etchingham about her description of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as 'odious' in her memoir. She said: 'This is my impression, other people might have a different view of him. He just comes across as somebody who's got a very, very fragile ego. 'Somebody who's not particularly comfortable, particularly around women. 'In the 2015 leaders' debate just before we went on air that night, I just remember hearing him tell somebody how much he'd had to drink, in the green room area beforehand, and it just felt this kind of bravado and just not very pleasant.' Reform UK has been approached for comment. Nicola Sturgeon: The Interview will broadcast on Monday August 11 at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV. An extended version of the interview will be available on ITVX in the following days.
Rhyl Journal
4 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Palestine Action has committed ‘violence' and ‘significant injury', No 10 says
No 10 defended the move to ban the organisation under counter-terror laws, saying evidence and security assessments shared in closed court supported its proscription. Scotland Yard has said some 522 people were held over the weekend for displaying an item in support of a proscribed group, out of the total 532 arrests made during the policing operation at a march in central London. Asked on Monday whether the Government was reconsidering its decision to designate the group as a terrorist organisation following mass arrests on Saturday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'No. Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed involving violence, significant injury and extensive criminal damage.' Downing Street said the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre – an independent authority based within MI5 – had found the organisation had carried out three separate acts of terrorism. The Government is unable to provide 'all of the detail at this stage' but the proscription has been made through a 'robust, evidence-based process', it said. 'We've said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear: this is a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury and extensive criminal damage,' Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman said. Speaking to broadcasters earlier on Monday, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said supporters of the group would face 'the full force of the law'. 'We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons, which we can't disclose because of national security,' she told BBC Breakfast. Meanwhile, officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command will be working over the coming weeks to put together case files in relation to arrests made at a protest in London in Saturday, the force has said. The demonstration was held in Parliament Square on Saturday, organised by Defend Our Juries, with the Metropolitan Police warning it would detain anyone expressing support for Palestine Action. The majority of those arrested, 348, were aged 50 or over, according to a breakdown published by the Met on Sunday. Detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area. Those whose details could be confirmed were released on bail to appear at a police station at a future date. There were a further 10 arrests, six for assaults on officers, two for breaching Public Order Act conditions, one arrest for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty, and one for a racially aggravated public order offence, the force said.
STV News
4 minutes ago
- STV News
ScotRail prices set to be slashed as peak fares scrapped 'for good'
Tickets for ScotRail services are set to be slashed next month as the Scottish Government scraps peak fares for good. From September 1, travellers will pay the off-peak price on all services regardless of time or day of the week. Commuters who currently pay £32.60 for an anytime day return between Glasgow and Edinburgh will now see prices slashed by almost half to the off-peak rate of £16.80. It is hoped the scrapping of peak fares, announced by John Swinney in May, will encourage more people to ditch their cars and travel by rail. Peak fares were previously ditched by the Scottish Government by then-first minister Humza Yousaf in October 2023 in a bid to make transport more affordable while lowering emissions. The scheme was extended for a period however it was scrapped in September 2024 by the Scottish Government 'in light of financial challenges'. However in May 2025, Swinney announced a U-turn on the decision in the SNP's Programme for Government. Swinney said: 'Last year, in the face of severe budget pressures, we took the difficult decision to end the peak fares pilot on our railways. 'But now, given the work we have done to get Scotland's finances in a stronger position, and hearing also the calls from commuters, from climate activists and from the business community, I can confirm that, from September 1 this year, peak rail fares in Scotland will be scrapped for good.' ScotRail, which was nationalised in 2022, said the permanent change will see Scotland welcome a 'new era in rail travel'. 'This is fantastic news, not only for our existing customers, but for everyone across the country considering rail travel for their commute or leisure journeys,' Joanne Maguire, ScotRail managing director, said. 'Travelling by train remains one of the most convenient ways to get around, and with simpler, more affordable fares, we hope to see many more people choose ScotRail.' ScotRail Peak fares will be scrapped from September 1. The ScotRail website and app will be updated by Friday, August 22, when the peak fare options will be removed for any tickets for travel from September 1 onwards. However, there are some routes where no off-peak fare exists because the same fare is already available at any time of the day. Customers will not see any change in those areas. ScotRail said several other tickets will also be updated in the coming weeks, including season tickets, which will remain at their current pricing until September 27. Flexipass ticket prices will also be adjusted from September 1 to ensure they continue to offer savings for part-time or hybrid commuters. Super off-peak day return tickets will be withdrawn, while railcards, concessions, and enhanced discounts will continue to be available for travellers. 'We want more people to choose to travel by public transport for work, study and leisure but we know that many are still struggling with cost of living pressures,' transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said. 'By removing peak fares, we are making ticketing more simple and more straightforward while at the same time supporting a shift towards sustainable public transport, protecting the climate, and saving people money.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
