Ed Miliband will reinstate the 50p rate of tax within weeks and grab more powers for Downing Street if he becomes prime minister, The Times has learnt.
The measures are among a list of draft bills already handed to Sir Jeremy Heywood, the cabinet secretary, as Labour makes plans for a new administration.
Mr Miliband wants strengthen the Downing Street machine as he seeks to assert his authority over Whitehall and the Treasury in particular, according to Lord Falconer of Thoroton, his adviser on a transition to government.
As the Labour leader tries to shed his reputation for indecision, he would make more political appointments to the civil service and reinstate a “delivery unit” reporting directly to him at No 10.
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Lord Falconer revealed yesterday that draft legislation for about five priority bills had been prepared.
These include abolishing the rule that penalises council tenants who have a spare bedroom, repealing the Health and Social Care Bill, which introduced sweeping NHS reforms, setting in train a house-building programme and devolving power to the cities and regions.
An emergency budget, held within weeks of the government being formed, would set a new 50p top rate of tax and abolish the “non-dom” tax status as well as putting “fiscal responsibility” into law. The freeze on energy prices, expansion of apprenticeships and ban on zero-hours contracts would also be introduced early on.
Lord Falconer, anticipating claims that Labour was being presumptuous, said voters had a right to know that a Miliband government would seek to act quickly and not engage in “languorous discussions”. He added: “You need a few clear priorities so that the civil service knows what you want to do.”
Mr Miliband would revive the No 10 “delivery unit” — a progress-chasing body that reports to the prime minister — as well as strengthen the Downing Street policy unit, the peer said.'
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...nce-referendum