PM to face questions on strategic thinking in government, economy and public services, and global issues from Commons Liaison committee
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, was being interviewed by Kay Burley on Sky News this morning when he challenged Rishi Sunak to explain how he would fund his proposal to axe national insurance. (See 9.34am.) In an interview with Burley three weeks ago, Ashworth bet her £10 that the general election would be on 2 May. For an election on 2 May, parliament would have to be dissolving today.
This morning Ashworth acccepted he had lost, and he paid up, with the money going to a charity for the children of alcoholics. Burley asked him if he wanted to bet on an election in June, but Ashworth declined.
The chancellor told Conservative party members he plans to scrap national insurance in the next parliament. How does the government plan to pay for this projected cost of £46bn?
[Sunak has] committed his party to a £46bn [tax cut] which either means more borrowing, putting up mortgages, or it means a new tax rise on pensioners. Or it severs the link between contribution and the state pension, it is threatens the state pension in the future. Silver Voices, an organisation who campaigns for pensioners, in the Daily Express a couple of weeks ago said this could mean to the means testing of the state pension. Rishi Sunak has got to answer questions on his £46bn bombshell.
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said that although state pensions are not reliant on the amount of NICs collected by the government, abolishing it could lead to problems.
He said: “When national insurance was set up, it was intended to fund the state pension and benefits.
