I'm wondering why FG and Labour are pledging to reduce income tax rates whilst not pledging to expand tax bands and increase personal tax credits ( they appear tp pledge indexation of these).

I would have thought that you can't look at the tax rates in isolation and saying they will cut the standard rate to 18 % is meaningless without seeing the bands and credits they propose.

During the last election (I think) the Labour were all about the increase of credits and the bands because it's only half the story... and now their not, they're not even targeting the tax cuts to those who need them most.

My suspicion is Labour is "dumbing down" their campaign policies as they find it too difficult to explain the intricate relationship between bands credits and tax rates to the electorate .... and ofcourse cutting the standard rate is easier to understand and creates an easier headline and fits on a bumper sticker/billboard/leaflet