Row over VAT pledge

A GENERAL Election row has broken out over near-identical Conservative and Labour commitments not to raise VAT.

Both parties have pledged not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT over recent days, should either of them form a government after polling day on July 4. Setting out how his party would afford to lower the tax burden, Tory Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told BBC Breakfast that he would "want to avoid austerity-style cuts that we had after the financial crisis".

Labour shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones denied his party has made a commitment not to raise VAT in response to similar pledges by his Conservative rivals, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've not been bounced into anything."