Election promises - Be wary of auction politics

THE general election auction has already begun in earnest, with the Progressive Democrats going one better than the Labour Party over the weekend.

Labour had already promised to cut the lower rate of tax from 20% to 18%, if it were returned to Government.

Both of the present coalition’s partners promptly denounced the Labour proposal. Finance Minister Brian Cowen promised that Fianna Fáil would not get involved in auction politics, while Tánaiste Michael McDowell, the leader of the Progressive Democrats, denounced the Labour leader’s sudden conversion to tax cuts.