Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, responding to calls from Tory Cabinet Minister Oliver Letwin for a flat tax, said:

“David Cameron’s close friend and Cabinet colleague Oliver Letwin has let the cat out of the bag.

"He’s been caught letting slip what’s on the real Tory agenda for a second term - the old right-wing idea of a flat tax championed by George Osborne ten years ago.

"Not content with having already cut taxes for millionaires, a Tory flat tax would mean even lower taxes for the richest and higher taxes for millions of working people.

"It’s the same old Tories standing up for the privileged few, while everyone else is left behind.

"We shouldn’t forget what happened last time when Tory instincts like these led to the Poll Tax.

"The Tories said they had no plans to raise VAT and then did exactly that after the election. Now they’ve been caught out talking about plans for a flat tax behind closed doors.”

ENDS