TOP Tories told Boris Johnson his National Insurance hike will further hammer the economy as Britain’s Covid fightback stutters.
Furious MPs urged the PM to rethink his decision to bump up the NI by 1.25 per cent from next April to cover the cost of the NHS backlog.
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It came as the nation’s GDP grew by a measly 0.1 per cent in July, as businesses were forced to shut due to the “pingdemic”.
Tory MP Marcus Fysh called the PM’s tax rise “very risky” and added: “It’s short-sighted to be thinking about tax rises now, when we need to ensure our recovery.”
And senior MP John Redwood said: “The Treasury needs a pro-growth policy, not threats of more tax rises and spending cuts.”
Boris Johnson, in light of the disappointing stats, is still mulling over a Cabinet reshuffle next week in a bid to restart Britain’s recovery.
One senior insider said: “We have got to get Britain back fighting fit, and having the strongest possible team in charge of that is a key part of it.”
But Chancellor Rishi Sunak insisted: “I am confident we will continue to recover from the pandemic, we will see more new jobs, and we will build back better.”
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