The Chancellor must introduce a marriage tax break in this week’s Autumn Statement, senior Tory MPs have said.
Former families minister Tim Loughton warned that George Osborne’s announcement on Wednesday will be his last chance to deliver on a key manifesto pledge.
And other MPs said the Government should use the tax break to show their support for marriage.
Transferrable
The transferrable tax allowance would save married couples £150, when one spouse stays at home.
During a debate in Westminster Hall, Mr Loughton demanded that the Chancellor deliver on his promise.
He said this week’s “autumn statement by the Chancellor is absolutely the last opportunity for the Government to make clear the importance that they place on marriage”.
Commitment
And Mr Loughton added: “A commitment was made in the coalition agreement, but we need a full-blooded commitment, not one that only tinkers around the edges with a half-hearted endorsement of what we all believe in.”
Nick Clegg has previously stated his opposition to the marriage tax break proposals, saying they are outdated and more suited to the 1950s model of family life.
But Stewart Jackson, Tory MP for Peterborough, said his arguments were “out of touch”.
Popular
Christian MP David Burrowes said: “Marriage is a popular institution—increasingly so—and it is one that the public welcome”.
He said the tax break would be an opportunity for the Government to show that they value marriage, and that it has manifold benefits for society.
David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said David Cameron wanted to provide “real, tangible support to families” and remained committed to recognising marriage in the tax system.