Conservative plans to give married couples a tax break would “sting” unmarried people with higher taxes, Nick Clegg has said.

The Deputy Prime Minister told MPs he remains opposed to giving married couples a transferable allowance which would cut the tax bill for one partner if the other does not work. The Conservative Party fought the last election promising millions of married couples a transferable tax allowance. The change would allow married stay-at-home parents to transfer part of their tax-free allowance to a working spouse, as long as their partner’s income was below £44,000. The Coalition Agreement between the Conservatives and Liberals Democrats said the Government will bring forward “budget resolutions to introduce transferable tax allowances for married couples,” although the Lib Dems are free to abstain. That position was repeated in this week’s Mid-Term Review, and Conservative MPs – including ministers – want proposals to be published this year. The Liberal Democrats have opposed the tax break plan, and Mr Clegg told MPs he did not think voters would....More on this story: Nick Clegg: tax breaks for married couples would 'sting' the unmarried