Kemi Badenoch Promises Tax Cuts of Up to £2K for 50,000 Armed Forces Reservists by Cutting Benefits

ARMED Forces reservists would get a tax cut worth up to £2,000 a year under Tory plans to recruit thousands more volunteer troops.

pledged to make the first 30 days of Reserve service each year completely tax free if the Tories return to power.

It comes as faces continued pressure over delays to its long-promised — which is now expected next week.

The Tory plan is designed to help recruit another 18,000 volunteers and swell the to 50,000 personnel.

It is also expected to encourage more reservists to complete their minimum number of training days — which fewer than half currently do.

Tory analysis found the move would mean a nurse serving as a Reserve sergeant could be around £640 a year up, while a software engineer serving as a major could pocket almost £2,000 extra.

It would be funded by ­reinstating the two-child benefit cap that Labour scrapped at a cost of £3.2billion.

say it would fund the tax break for reservists and also their separate pledge to recruit an extra 6,000 full-time soldiers.

Tory leader Mrs Badenoch said: “The first duty of a Government is to defend the country. To fund our defence, Britain has to cut its welfare bill.

“That is why the Conservatives will restore the two-child benefit cap and use the money saved on defence.”

Shadow Defence Secretary said Britain needs to follow allies who are raising reserve totals.

He said “Britain must do the same, but while other countries have used conscription, we remain committed to a professional, volunteer armed forces — and that means we need to make Reserve service financially worthwhile.”

The party estimates making the first 30 days of Reserve service tax free would cost up to £152million a year.

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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