Lib Dems rule out taxing rich in bid to woo Tory voters

Lib Dem leader says party will target Conservative voters and use energy firms' profits and banks' tax breaks to fund NHS

Ed Davey has ruled out the Liberal Democrats seeking tax rises on even the richest individuals amid ongoing efforts by his party to target disaffected Conservative voters in dozens of so-called blue wall" seats.

A day before his speech to his party's conference in Bournemouth, the Lib Dem leader also confirmed that the previous policy of adding 1p on to income tax to pay for better NHS services had been scrapped.