Clegg hints at charities u-turn and says: I would like to be PM
NICK Clegg has hinted at changes to the controversial plan to cap tax relief on charitable donations and also admitted his lingering desire to be Prime Minister.
The Liberal Democrat leader said there had to be “some limit” to the allowances but said “of course” he was not accusing wealthy individuals of giving to charity to reduce their tax bill.
“There is a simple principle at stake, which is that if you have an unlimited allowance, you are asking ordinary taxpayers on much lower incomes to fund that tax break.
“Of course, as we said at the Budget, we will look at this in detail. We’ve got time to get the details right, we will look at it in the round and very sympathetically, because we don’t want to damage charities or inhibit philanthropy.”
The deputy prime minister said the “heart attack” in the UK economy in 2008 had led to decisions that prompted anger.
He also told BBC Radio 4 that he had to deal with the world as it is, “not as I would like it to be… I would love to be Prime Minister, and to lead a Lib Dem government.”