TORY MPs have told Boris Johnson to ditch his hated National Insurance rise — to cling on in No 10.
They want the hike — set to pay for extra NHS funding and social care — to be shelved for a year to help hard-up Brits cope with rising bills.
It comes as the Prime Minister faces a nervous weekend while he awaits the make-or-break report into Downing Street’s pandemic parties, which could decide his fate.
MPs last night wanted to delay the 1.25 percentage point NI increase in April to help the PM cement his reputation with Tory true blues and aid struggling families.
One Tory MP told HOAR: “If he is going to stay, Boris needs a big reset and return to the issues which affect ordinary working people.
“He should shelve the rise, at least for this year.”
Ex-Cabinet minister John Redwood added: “It would help Boris massively to show he was thinking about the voters — and is in touch with people frightened about paying their energy bills.”
But last night Government insiders stressed such a move was not on the cards — and voters wanted to see the money used to slash NHS waiting lists.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The NI uplift has been specifically dedicated to health and social care.
“It was right for the Prime Minister to have a dedicated tax rise to pay for those things.”
The PM’s allies believe he is safe for the weekend as rebel Tories put off their plotting until they see the outcome of the party probe.
HOAR understands it is likely to be released in the middle of next week.
But it is set to infuriate MPs as it will not be published in full.
Junior staff and civil servants are set to have their names blanked out in the final version, with only those in senior positions named.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/sadiq-khan-scraps-emergency-covid-status-in-another-sign-uk-beating-omicron-but-says-londoners-should-still-wear-masks/
