Autumn Statement: Osborne to help SMEs and 'squeezed middle'

George Osborne is expected to crackdown on tax avoidance by the wealthy and support commuters, motorists and small businesses in this week's Autumn Statement, acording to reports.

Ministers will target the rich in a crackdown on a series of tax-avoidance schemes - in particular, The Sunday Telegraph understands, the avoidance of stamp duty on high value property deals. Osborne is not expected to announce plans to drop the 50p top rate of income tax on earnings above £150,000. Rail ticket prices, due to rise by more than 8% from January, will now increase by just over 6% according to the Telegraph. Osborne is also expected to confirm there will either be a freeze or delay in a 3p rise in fuel duty, again planned for January, though this is not certain. Els...