From SNP Media:

Following reports that the UK government is set to hike National Insurance (NI) to fund social care reform for England, the SNP has said the plans would be no more than a Tory tax to fix their social care failure in England.

The SNP’s Depute Westminster Leader, Kirsten Oswald MP, has also highlighted that an increase to NI would disproportionately hit lower and middle income earners – of which a large proportion have already been left struggling after ten years of Tory austerity, Brexit and the coronavirus crisis.

Commenting, Kirsten Oswald MP said:

“If the Tory government moves ahead with the plan to hike National Insurance – without the assurance that it will benefit devolved nations through Barnett consequentials – then it is essentially a UK wide tax to fund an England only policy. 

“This would be grossly unfair. Scottish workers should not have to pay for Tory failures in England – given Scotland did not vote for the Tories and haven’t done for years.

“It would also hit low and middle income families at a time when they can least afford it after a decade of Tory austerity measures, Brexit and the pandemic. Many are already facing looming Universal Credit cuts.

“The UK government must give firm guarantees that we will receive every penny we are due in Barnett consequentials if they move ahead with these proposals.”