National Insurance: Starmer’s first big U-turn?

The Budget is not due for a fortnight, yet with every day that passes its contents seem to become clearer. This morning Keir Starmer gave an interview to the BBC where he twice refused to rule out a rise in employer’s national insurance contributions in the Budget. Instead, he repeatedly stressed that Labour’s manifesto promise was specifically that it would ‘not raise taxes on working people’. Can Rachel Reeves afford a national insurance hike? 

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Michael Gove. 

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.