View from Westminster
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Why national insurance not income tax? |
It seems to be all but confirmed that Jeremy Hunt will announce a 2p in the £ cut in national insurance contributions (NICs) in the Budget tomorrow. Why have he and Rishi Sunak decided on that tax cut rather than a cut in income tax? Probably three reasons. One, it is cheaper than an income tax cut, because NICs apply to earnings from employment and not other income. Two, it is also, therefore, better targeted at people in work (more swing voters). And three, it also applies across the whole of the UK – it cannot be varied by the SNP government in Scotland, which has the power to set income tax rates (there is already a 19p in the £ starter rate on the first £2,000 pounds of annual income in Scotland, for example). Thus the tax cut can be "owned" by the UK government in Scotland. The more important point, of course, is that now is not the time to be cutting any taxes at all. |
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Through which four capital cities does the Danube flow? |
Answer at the bottom of today's email |
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| The prime minister admitted his wife does more than he does |
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| With Rishi Sunak's party lagging Labour by 20 points, Greg Hands, trade minister, said the contest will be 'later this year' |
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| Berlin's former intelligence chief August Hanning spoke to Germany's Bild newspaper |
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What else you need to know today |
- The House of Commons adjourned for the day at a minute before 4pm
- I wrote about the "Canadian wipeout" scenario, as the opinion polls on the eve of the Budget show no sign of Tory recovery
- I shall be hosting an "Ask Me Anything" event on The Independent website after the Budget, at 3pm tomorrow; get your questions in now – the early ones get answered first
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Is George Galloway really going to 'shift the tectonic plates' of politics? |
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As the not-quite-maiden MP once more sets foot in the Commons, Sean O'Grady assesses the effect he is likely to have... Read more |
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Tomorrow inside the Westminster bubble |
Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for |
Jeremy Hunt will outline his Budget strategy at the cabinet's weekly meeting.
The Commons will sit at 11.30am for questions on Scotland. Unusually, Prime Minister's Questions at noon will be a sideshow, because the chancellor will make his Budget statement at 12.30pm. As MPs begin four days of debate on it, Keir Starmer has the unenviable job of making an instant response. The chancellor might be more nervous about the all-important verdict of the Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog, which will be delivered at its briefing at 2.30pm. Peers will again turn their guns on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the second day of its report stage in the Lords, with more government defeats likely. |
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"What I see is a sort of multi-layered cake with an assortment of very diverse ingredients in it with a thin layer of icing at the top, which is called a new second chamber of the regions and nations, which has barely been put in the oven yet, let alone fully baked."
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Peter Mandelson on Gordon Brown's plan for a new elected chamber to replace the House of Lords |
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And finally... Do you have any relatives that you feel embarrassed by?
I do, 31 per cent
I do not, 63 per cent Don't know, 6 per cent YouGov |
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Quiz answer: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade | |
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