On his latest visit to Wirral, David Cameron has called for Gordon Brown to reverse his plans to hit port employers in Merseyside and around the UK with sharp hikes in business rates.
Labour is levying retrospective tax increases on firms operating in ports across England and Wales. New analysis by Conservatives has revealed that this will deliver a £124 million tax blow in the middle of a recession, with firms in Wallasey, Birkenhead and the rest of Merseyside facing a £22 million tax hike.
Leah Fraser, prospective Conservative MP for Wallasey, accompanied Mr Cameron at the meeting: "There are too many jobs at risk if we allow the Government's port rates revaluation to go through. By coming to Wirral and hearing first hand the concerns of local employers, David Cameron is showing that he is prepared to listen."
And she added, "Merseyside, and Wallasey and Birkenhead in particular, have a really important maritime history and, if we're not careful, the Government's tax rises on these companies will kill off their future. It's madness to impose backdated tax rises on firms which are already struggling with the recession."
Conservatives are calling on the Government to use the Finance Bill or the Business Rates Supplements Bill currently before Parliament to amend primary legislation and stop these tax increases.
David Cameron said: "These unfair, retrospective taxes from the Government's tax inspectors will push firms across the country into insolvency. This is the worst possible tax change to introduce in the middle of a recession. Gordon Brown fails to realise that his inept policies will lead to thousands of jobs being lost, not just in the ports but also in the car industry and beyond."