The 2019 Tory manifesto committed to a 'triple lock' on taxes, with no rise in income tax, VAT or national insurance. Mr Johnson will have been reassured by a YouGov poll showing strong public support for raising national insurance. He suggested income tax may be a fairer way to raise revenue rather than the 'jobs tax' of increased National Insurance contributions. Former Cabinet minister Esther McVey said national insurance was 'a tax on work, which also hits the poorest hardest.' Ministers are considering an idea of rebranding the tax rise as a new 'health and social care levy'.

Source: Daily Mail September 05, 2021 21:09 UTC