Brent students grill Ed Miliband over mansion tax plans during school visit

Labour Leader Ed Miliband with the party's Hampstead and Kilburn candidate Tulip Sudiq in the background (Image: Archant)

Ed Miliband took part in a Q&A at the school in Aylestone Avenue, last week during an event to end global poverty.

“If you won’t talk about the deficit, why should we trust you?” asked one student while another claimed his single mother and three sisters were living in a house now valued at £1m and would not be able to survive if he passed through his mansion tax, an annual property tax planned by Labour on high value homes worth more than £2m.

“If we win the election we set to balance the books in the next parliament,” Mr Miliband told the students as he explained tax reforms to make his policies ‘fair’.

He added: “We have a sensible plan, a plan that will be achieved putting up taxes on the richest, 50p tax break on the highest earners of £150,000 it’s likely the government will cut taxes for those people.”

The event was held in conjunction with One Campaign, an international charity campaigning and advocacy organisation, with many of its youth ambassadors present.

The #action15 campaign aims to eradicate extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.

Mr Miliband said the cross party plan to give 0.7 per cent of the national income to poor countries should be protected, while more should be done to combat climate change.

“We will show leadership on climate change. The government haven’t shown the leadership that’s required.,” he added.

He stressed how important the pupils’ contribution was, promising the vote to 16 and 17 year olds.

“We need to make sure young people are front and centre in politics. That’s what this campaign is all about. It’s important to hear the voices of young people.”

Mike Hulme, headmaster of QPCS, thanked Mr Miliband saying: “It was extremely informative and useful. It is interesting you came to us and our school and it’s us you questioned.”