Johnson pledges tax cut to millions of workers

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to give millions of workers a 100 pound ($131) tax cut within weeks if he wins a majority in the December 12 general election, it was reported on Thursday.

Setting out a whirlwind schedule for what he hopes will be the first 100 days of a new Conservative government, the Prime Minister on Wednesday night told iTV that he vowed to fast-track 11 pieces of legislation to deliver on his promises, reports The Daily Mail.

Conservative sources sources confirmed measures would also include an increase in the national insurance threshold from 8,632 to 9,500 pounds - delivering a tax cut worth 104 pounds to more than 30 million workers.

Besides the tax cut, Johnson said that he would focus on laws to toughen sentences for serious criminals, restrict strikes affecting vital services such as health and transport and ban "vexatious" claims against military veterans.

The Prime Minister also said that cross-party talks to agree on "an enduring solution to the challenge of social care" would start within his first 100 days. And he pledged a law requiring migrants to pay a 625 pound surcharge to cover the cost of National Health Services (NHS) care.

Johnson on Wednesday night reiterated that Britain would leave the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020 if he comes to power following the election.

"But if the Conservatives don't get a majority, then on Friday 13, we will have the nightmare of a hung Parliament with (Labour leader) Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister propped up by Nicola Sturgeon's Scottish National Party," he added.

Meanwhile, a new Ipsos-Mori poll on Wednesday revealed that, with just a week to go, the NHS has overtaken Brexit as the voters' top priority - giving Labour hope it can confound the polls in the closing days of the campaign, the Daily Mail said.

The NHS was named as a key issue by 59 per cent of voters, against 56 per cent who wanted action on Brexit.