London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

UK prime minister breaks election pledge to hike National Insurance, blaming Covid

UK prime minister breaks election pledge to hike National Insurance, blaming Covid

Boris Johnson has broken an election pledge to not increase taxes, announcing that National Insurance contributions will rise by 1.25% from April 2022 to fund a reform of the country’s ailing social care sector.
To provide the necessary funding, the government is to increase National Insurance contributions to ensure that, from October 2023, no one will pay more than £86,000 ($118,650) for social care and those with assets less than £20,000 ($27,590) will have all their care costs covered.

The proposal, unveiled in Parliament on Tuesday, came despite outrage from the prime minister’s own backbench MPs over his decision to violate the promise to “not raise the rate of income tax, VAT or National Insurance” that was made in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto.

Johnson admitted that the plan broke the manifesto promise he made to voters, stating that “no Conservative government wants to raise taxes” and that breaking a vow was “not something I do lightly”.

The prime minister seemly blamed the Covid virus for the need to turn to an increase in National Insurance contributions to plug the gap in social care funding, arguing that “a global pandemic wasn’t in anyone’s manifesto”.

In a bid to stave off criticism that the rise in contributions will fall disproportionately on younger individuals, the prime minister said the government would be changing the age at which people stop paying National Insurance contributions. From April 2023, all working adults, including those above pensionable age, will contribute to the levy through their pay.

Ministers having backed the proposal at Tuesday morning’s Cabinet meeting, it will be put to a vote in Parliament on Wednesday, according to House of Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The breach of the promise not to raise taxes comes alongside criticism of the government over its failure to fully stand by another manifesto pledge: protecting the state pension ‘triple lock’. The triple lock has meant that the state pension has increased each year, in line with average earnings or inflation, or by 2.5%, whichever is highest. However, the government has bent its promise to honour that pledge, announcing that, next year, pensions will rise only by inflation or 2.5%, and ditching the earnings element.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×