In a recent attempt to draw attention to tax policies under the Conservative government, Tory MP Jacob Young found himself in an embarrassing situation when his argument was swiftly debunked on social media.
Young had sought to make a comparison between the amount of tax paid by individuals under Conservative and Labour administrations. Specifically, he claimed that individuals earning lower salaries paid significantly less tax under the Conservatives compared to Labour.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Young asserted, “In 2010 under Labour, someone earning £15,000 paid £2,726 in tax. In 2024 under the Conservatives, someone earning £15,000 will pay £679 in tax.”
However, a community note appended to his post quickly highlighted the flaw in his comparison, revealing that Young had failed to account for inflation and different taxation components between the two periods. The corrected calculation showed that the tax burden in 2024 would actually be higher than initially claimed.
This misstep coincided with similar controversies within the Conservative Party regarding tax-related claims. The official Conservative X account shared a graphic boasting of tax cuts, asserting that the average worker on a £35,000 salary would save £900 annually. Yet, a community note promptly refuted this, pointing out that the UK tax burden under the Conservatives was at a record high.
This incident adds to a series of public missteps by prominent Conservative figures. Chancellor Rishi Sunak was recently corrected on social media for claiming tax reductions and improvements in NHS waiting times, with community notes highlighting the contrary realities of rising taxes and record-high waiting lists.
Even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak found himself facing criticism after suggesting that the government had cleared a backlog of asylum claims, a statement refuted by statistics indicating a significant number of unresolved cases.
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