Tory poster targets Labour's 'secret plan' to introduce £20,000 death tax

Earlier today there was news that Labour might introduce a £20,000 charge on estates in order to pay for a new 'National Care Service'. The Conservatives have launched a poster attacking Labour's 'death tax':

As well as online the poster is already up on eighteen poster sites across London.

Earlier, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond commented:

"Gordon Brown has a track record of saying 'no new taxes' before an election, and then raising them by stealth after it. Labour are now secretly planning another tax - a death tax - to pay for this unfunded, ill-thought out plan for social care. When you die, a Labour Government would take £20,000 from what you leave to your children and family.  For those with the most modest savings Labour's plans could leave them with nothing. In contrast we want to help people in old age so that they can leave as much of their lifetime's savings as possible to the next generation. We will offer people the chance to pay a one off premium of £8,000 into a voluntary scheme to cover the cost of residential care in old age. So under our plans no-one would be forced to sell their home to pay for care."

Tim Montgomerie

8.15pm: Peter Hoskin at The Spectator is unimpressed.