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This was a fairly quiet conference on the tax front for the Conservatives, new announcements limited to a stamp duty increase for foreign buyers, edging a little closer to a Digital Services Tax, tweaks to the apprenticeship levy and another year of a fuel duty freeze. Various outriders would like to see more radical changes though – especially corporation tax cuts – and there are hints these might be considered depending on the outcome of the Brexit process.

The process under the Wales Act 2014 that enables the Welsh Government to introduce new taxes in areas of devolved responsibility subject to approval from the National Assembly for Wales and both Houses of Parliament, will be tested for the first time with the formal proposal for a vacant land tax going to the UK Government later this year. The work to gain the powers is only a first step, the development of detailed policy proposals will follow involving engagement with stakeholders and the public in accordance with the Welsh Government’s tax policy framework.

There wasn’t much new tax policy announced at Labour conference (a levy on holiday homes was an exception) but there were plenty of pointers towards some potentially radical ideas being under consideration.

This is part of a series of reports on tax policy discussions at the main party conferences. Further reports will follow on the Conservative and SNP conferences, with a roundup of Lib Dem conference here.

Meeting in Brighton for their annual autumn conference the Liberal Democrats passed two substantial tax motions covering taxation of wealth and capital, and the replacement of business rates with a land value-based levy. A number of other motions also touched on tax but did not significantly develop party tax policy. Work on corporate taxation continues. Unsurprisingly Brexit was the dominant issue of the conference.