David Cameron promises tax cuts and ban on VAT rise between 2015-2020 if he is elected

David Cameron today (29 April) promised a series of tax cuts and no new levies in a major speech in a West Midlands marginal seat.

With eight days to go until the 7 May general election, the Prime Minister pledged a future Conservative Government will make sure that nobody working 30 hours on minimum wage will ever pay income tax.

He also promised to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020, while the 40p tax threshold will increase to £50,000 by 2020 – and will always rise at least in line with inflation.

Cameron said that family homes will be taken out of inheritance tax, by lifting the threshold for married couples to £1m.

And attempted to see off Labour claims that Tories are secretly planning to raise VAT by announcing that a Conservative government will actually pass legislation banning a VAT rise from 2015 to 2020.

The stark message comes as opinion polls suggest neither major party has managed to make real progress during the general election campaign.

Cameron used the Midlands visit to claim the country faces a "stark choice" between a tax-cutting Conservative government and a tax-raising Labour administration.

He insisted voters can trust him with their tax bill, claiming that rival Labour leader Ed Miliband has failed to "come clean" about his plans to increase taxes.

Mr Cameron said: "Do you trust the people who taxed you to the hilt when they were in power and still haven't come clean about the taxes they want to increase next time round? Or do you trust the Conservatives, who have cut income taxes for 26 million people, and who will cut your taxes again next time?"

He added: "It's a fundamental difference of approach between the Conservatives and Labour; me and Ed Miliband. It is, in fact, the first law of politics: it's Labour who put up your taxes, and the Conservatives who cut them."

In an email sent in response to Cameron's plans, Labour said that the Tories have made billions of pounds of promises without saying where the money is coming from.

"This is a desperate last minute gimmick from the Tories which nobody will believe a word of. David Cameron broke his promise not to raise VAT last time and if he gets the chance he'll do the same again," said Chris Leslie, Labor's shadow chief secretary.