Sunak takes aim at Starmer: ‘We expel antisemites, he makes them Labour candidates’
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A 2p cut to National Insurance contributions (NICs) is unlikely to boost the Conservative Party’s general election prospects, Britain’s most respected polling expert has said.
Professor Sir John Curtice told The Independent that he would be “surprised” if the move, expected to be announced by Jeremy Hunt tomorrow, improved the Tories standing in the polls.
“Most evidence says, faced with a choice between trying to do something about public services and reducing taxation, the public services are a bigger priority because most people think public services including the NHS are in a pretty awful state,” he added.
It comes after The Times reported that Mr Hunt opted to cut NICs instead of income because it was cheaper and less inflationary. The Treasury says the £10bn giveaway would save average earners a further £450 after Mr Hunt also cut the rate in November’s autumn statement.
He will sell the move as a £900 overall tax cut to workers.
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How much would you save with Jeremy Hunt’s 2p National Insurance cut?
Jeremy Hunt is expected to unveil a 2p cut to national insurance in his Budget on Wednesday as he attempts to attract voters ahead of this year’s general election.
The chancellor is thought to be preparing to announce his second reduction in employment taxes in a year, after cutting national insurance by 2p in last year’s autumn statement.
It’s been reported that the move will save the average earner £450 a year.
Read the full story here…
Lydia Patrick6 March 2024 03:30
Watch – Tory minister pulls faces as Martin Lewis criticises government during hearing
Tory minister pulls faces as Martin Lewis criticises government during hearing
Schools minister Damian Hinds pulled faces behind Martin Lewis as the MoneySavingExpert founder criticised the government’s “political failing” in financial education at a parliament committee on Tuesday, 5 March. The financial expert told MPs at the Commons Education Committee he donated money to provide a financial education textbook for schools because “the state would not”. As Mr Lewis said “I could have put bias into this textbook. We need proper textbooks, digital resources. We need teachers to be trained, and we need ongoing teacher training,” Mr Hinds appeared to scowl. Mr Lewis has campaigned for financial education to be on the national curriculum.
Lydia Patrick6 March 2024 02:30
Jeremy Hunt warned of £2bn real-term cuts to NHS funding
Jeremy Hunt is facing warnings of real-term cuts to NHS funding worth £2 billion in the coming financial year as he puts the finishing touches to this week’s Budget.
The already-strained health service could suffer a 1.2% cut in day-to-day spending in England – the largest reduction since the 1970s – according to analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), despite ministers’ promises not to squeeze healthcare.
Critics urged the Chancellor to cancel the “scandalous” spending cuts amid calls for public service funding to be prioritised over tax reductions in his financial statement on Wednesday.
The IFS said the health budget would be 2.4% lower in 2024–25 without further funding of around £2.1 billion.
Without the cash boost, the NHS would be forced to cut staffing, pay or patient services, even as it faces extra costs linked to workforce expansion and a pledge to tackle waiting lists, the think tank said.
Read the full story here…
Lydia Patrick6 March 2024 01:30
Watch – Tory minister pulls faces as Martin Lewis criticises government during hearing
Tory minister pulls faces as Martin Lewis criticises government during hearing
Schools minister Damian Hinds pulled faces behind Martin Lewis as the MoneySavingExpert founder criticised the government’s “political failing” in financial education at a parliament committee on Tuesday, 5 March. The financial expert told MPs at the Commons Education Committee he donated money to provide a financial education textbook for schools because “the state would not”. As Mr Lewis said “I could have put bias into this textbook. We need proper textbooks, digital resources. We need teachers to be trained, and we need ongoing teacher training,” Mr Hinds appeared to scowl. Mr Lewis has campaigned for financial education to be on the national curriculum.
Lydia Patrick5 March 2024 23:30
Watch – Voters would see right through Tory tax cuts, says Ed Davey
Voters would see right through Tory tax cuts, says Ed Davey
Any tax cuts in Jeremy Hunt’s Budget on Wednesday (5 March) will be a “swindle” and the public will “see right through it,” Sir Ed Davey has said. Visiting the chancellor’s constituency as the Liberal Democrats look to unseat him, the party leader commented on reports Mr Hunt is planning another 2p cut in national insurance. “If they do cut taxes people will know it’s a deception, because they’ve raised income tax by freezing the tax allowances, a sort of a hidden tax rise on millions of people. “They may try and put on a swindle, but I think people will see through it,” Sir Ed said.
Lydia Patrick5 March 2024 22:30
Watch – What could be announced in Jeremy Hunt’s Budget?
What could be announced in Jeremy Hunt’s Budget?
Speculation continues to mount as the chancellor prepares to deliver what is likely to be the last Budget before the general election on Wednesday 6 March. Most of that speculation has so far focused on tax cuts, although both Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak have been less keen to talk up the prospect of further tax reductions after official forecasts were reported to have reduced the amount of “headroom” available to meet their fiscal rules. The main question has been whether Mr Hunt will cut income tax or repeat the national insurance cut he introduced in last year’s autumn statement, with either offering a pre-election giveaway to voters.
Lydia Patrick5 March 2024 21:30
What else could be in the Budget as National Insurance cut expected
With just a day to go until Jeremy Hunt delivers his spring Budget, speculation remains rife about what the chancellor might announce when he sets out the government’s spending plans.
In the run-up to the Budget, most reporting had focused on whether the chancellor would cut taxes – either income tax or National Insurance Contributions (NICs) – when he delivers his statement from the dispatch box on Wednesday afternoon.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what else is expected to be announced by the government and what is likely to feature in Wednesday’s Budget.
Read the full report here…
Lydia Patrick5 March 2024 20:30
No general election in May, Tory minister says
Read the full story here…
Lydia Patrick5 March 2024 19:30
What would you like to see announced in the spring Budget? Join The Independent Debate
Speculation is rife about what chancellor Jeremy Hunt might announce in tomorrow’s Budget.
If you were given the reigns to Number 11, what policies would you implement? Would you be keen to see more help introduced for first-time buyers? Or would you rather see enhanced VAT relief on electric vehicle charging brought in?
Matt Mathers5 March 2024 18:30
Watch live: Tory MP tells Biden it is time to ‘go home to his cocoa and slippers’
Tory MP tells Biden it is time to ‘go home to his cocoa and slippers’
A Conservative MP has suggested Joe Biden “needs to read the room” and retire. Speaking on Super Tuesday (5 March), Tim Loughton said the US needs to “be led by a strong, credible, moderate president” and that neither Biden nor Donald Trump “fit that bill”. A re-match between the pair in the US presidential election this November is looking increasingly likely. “Joe Biden, who I’m sure is a decent chap, frankly he needs to read the room,” Mr Loughton told BBC Politics Live. “It’s time to go home to the cocoa and slippers.”
Matt Mathers5 March 2024 18:00