LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labourparty said on Monday it would increase taxes on banks' balancesheets and introduce a levy on bankers' bonuses to pay forspending on childcare and job guarantees if it won the 2015election.
Ed Balls, the man who could be finance minister if Labourwins the next election, said he would increase the existing taxon banks' balance sheets -- known as the bank levy -- to raisean extra 800 million pounds ($1.28 billion).
"We will use the money, for families where all parents arein work, to increase free childcare places for 3 and 4 yearsolds from 15 hours to 25 hours a week," Balls told the Labourparty conference in the English seaside resort of Brighton.
Balls also said Labour would repeat a tax on bankers'bonuses to pay for job guarantees.
"We will fund this by a repeat of the tax on bank bonusesand by restricting pension tax relief for the very highestearners to the same rate as the average taxpayer," Balls said.
Labour introduced a bank bonus tax when it was last in powerin 2009-2010, charging 50 percent on bonuses above 25,000pounds. Balls gave no details about what levels he would taxbonuses.
Barclays (BARC)
Lloyds (LLOY)
HSBC Holdings (HSBA)
Standard Chartered (STAN)
