ABOUT TIME THEY GOT AROUND TO OPPOSING THE STAMP TAX:

Tories vow to scrap stamp duty on shares to boost pensions (Melissa Kite, 27/08/2006, Daily Telegraph)

The Conservatives open up an important offensive today against Gordon Brown by unveiling plans to abolish stamp duty on shares.

Outlining the party's first tax-cutting proposal, the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, said the move would form part of a package of measures designed to increase competitiveness and boost the value of pensions.

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Osborne said: "Of all the damaging things Gordon Brown has done to the economy, the single most destructive has been the attack on personal pensions. 'Repairing the damage done to the pensions system has got to be a top priority for the next Conservative government.
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"Sadly, simply reversing the pensions tax he imposed in 1998 wouldn't work, as many final salary schemes have closed. 'We need to look at new ways of repairing the damage and that is why I am particularly keen to look at stamp duty on shares."

He welcomed a Bow Group pamphlet, to be published tomorrow, which calls for abolition of the tax.