For Rachel Reeves, the benefits of adding a penny to income tax are obvious: it is a big lever, simple to pull.

Having U-turned on benefit cuts and winter fuel – and with growth still so feeble – the Chancellor is scrabbling to find new pots of money ahead of next month’s Budget.

The drawbacks are also clear, with millions of people on fairly “normal” incomes (as tax experts put it) likely to find the cost of living that little bit trickier.

Trust is also a major consideration. Breaking manifesto promises isn’t for the faint-hearted.

The Lib Dems took 14 years to recover after breaking their pledge to abolish tuition fees by going into coalition with the Conservatives.

Certainly, there’s a story Reeves could tell – around sharing pain, fixing the roof, and protecting those in greate

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