'Tough' choices on tax, says Hague

Mr Hague said his party would bring back "honesty" into politics and refused to rule out whether income tax on the highest-earners would rise if the Tories came into power.

His comments came after shadow chancellor George Osborne yesterday said increasing the top rate of tax for people earning over £150,000 to the new 45% rate would "be difficult to avoid".

Mr Hague told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "The Conservative party want people to pay lower taxes.

"But we look at inheriting, if and when we win the next general election, the worst financial position ... that any government has ever inherited in peacetime.

"Taking over from Gordon Brown is going to be like taking over from somebody who every time they reach the limit on a credit card has just taken out more credit cards.

"So we want to bring some honesty back into this."

He added: "We are going to be honest with people. There are going to be some tough and difficult choices."

But Mr Hague said the Tories' priorities were their recommendations for a two year-freeze on council tax and proposals to scrap the basic rate of tax on savings.

He said: "It would be our priority to try to do things like that rather than to reverse a higher rate of tax on people over £150,000."