Chancellor hints White Van Man will be protected from hated National Insurance hikes in the Conservative manifesto
A hike on the self-employed was ditched from Philip Hammond's March budget after a furious backlash from hardworking Sun readers
THE CHANCELLOR has hinted White Van Man will be protected from hated NICs rises in the Conservative manifesto set to be published next week.
A hike on National Insurance for the self-employed was ditched from Philip Hammond's March budget after a furious backlash from hardworking Sun readers.
Pushed to rule out attempting another attempt to hit Britain's strivers, he said today: "I heard very clearly the Sun's view on National Insurance a few weeks ago."
It is thought the Tories are also poised to ditch David Cameron's "tax lock" 2015 pledge not to raise VAT, National Insurance or income taxes after June’s snap election.
Mr Hammond recently said the policy tied his hands as he tried to steer the economy.
On Sunday the Prime Minister ruled out any rise in VAT but she pointedly refused to make a similar pledge on income taxes.
And asked twice over the long weekend, she refused to be drawn on whether the Government intended to reignite hated changes to national insurance on the self-employed.
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Probed again on the subject today at his election press conference in Central London, Mr Hammond dropped his hint that the self-employed would continue to be protected.
He was speaking at a press conference to launch his party’s attack on Labour’s economic polices, saying a £45billion black hole in their financial plans will detonate a tax and debt "bombshell" if the party takes power.
The Chancellor was with the Brexit Secretary David Davis at the event in central London in an attempt to drive the election battle on to the economy.
They also unveiled an election poster showing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and a bomb behind his head with the slogan: "Corbyn: No Bombs for our Army, One big bombshell for your family."
Mr Davis said: "Jeremy Corbyn's nonsensical and irresponsible ideas pose a grave risk to the future of Britain's economy and the finances of every family in the country.”
The Conservatives issued a dossier claiming the financial "black hole" would be apparent midway through the next parliament in 2019-2020 if Labour stuck to its tax and spending commitments.
But a Labour Party spokesman said: "This is yet more nonsense from a Tory campaign that's all slogan and no substance.
"It's the latest desperate attempt to distance themselves from their failures and to distract from the fact that they've not ruled out hitting those on lower and middle incomes with further tax increases.