From 1h agoKey events1h agoAnneliese Dodds: number of Tory MPs standing down signals ‘no confidence in Rishi Sunak’1h agoTheresa May to step down as an MP at the next election1h agoWelcome and opening summary …Filters BETAKey events (3)Theresa May (10)Rishi Sunak (3)1m ago03.40 EST
Rishi Sunak’s government has given a vague indication that ultimately they would like to abolish national insurance without giving any clear idea of what would replace the tax revenue it raises. Pressed on this today, treasury minister Gareth Davies has said it could take “several parliaments” to achieve.
He told viewers of Sky News:
The starting point is that we think there’s a fundamental unfairness that if you work in a job you pay two types of tax, you pay income tax and you pay national insurance contributions.
So what we want to do, what we’ve demonstrated at the last two fiscal events, is that we want to get national insurance contributions down to the extent that we remove the unfairness over time.
The long-term ambition, it may take several parliaments, but the long-term ambition is to remove that unfairness. We keep all these things under review, but we want to remove the unfairness of having two taxes for those in work.
My colleague Hilary Osborne had an explainer yesterday on what national insurance is and what it pays for here, if you need a reminder.
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Our picture desk has been quick off the mark with this gallery of pictures from Theresa May’s political career, which includes some images you will surely recognise featuring her being handed a P45, Donald Trump, eating chips and dancing …
The political life of Theresa May – in picturesRead moreShare12m ago03.29 EST
Among the high profile Conservatives stepping down at the next election are Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid, George Eustice, Dominic Raab, Graham Brady, William Cash, Ben Wallace, Alok Sharma, Chris Grayling, Kwasi Kwarteng, Tracey Crouch and Paul Scully. Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are perhaps the most prominent Labour MPs standing down, and Caroline Lucas (Green), Mhiri Black and Ian Blackford (SNP) are also very familiar faces from parliament who are not standing again.
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Some of the tributes being paid to Theresa May from fellow MPs this morning include this from Andrew Bowie, Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, who said:
I’m so sorry to see the woman I was proud to call boss and remain proud to call a friend standing down from Parliament. It will leave the House of Commons a lesser place. Her dedication to her constituency, her country and her Party is unmatched. Thank you Theresa.
Labour MP Jess Phillips said: “Something very classy about this [May’s statement] being in the Maidenhead Advertiser first. Love her or loathe Theresa May politics, she was famed for being a responsive and involved local MP.”
Gavin Barwell, former Downing Street chief of staff to May said “Very sorry to hear this – both…
2024-03-08 03:29:30
Link from www.theguardian.com