Spring Budget: Jeremy Hunt signals ‘long term ambition’ to scrap National Insurance

Speaking in his budget statement today, chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested National Insurance payments could be scrapped entirely in the future, describing the levy as “particularly unfair”.

Hunt said that the fact that people pay two forms of tax on their income, National Insurance and income tax, “penalises work instead of encouraging it”.

“Because Conservatives believe that making work pay is of the most fundamental importance, because we believe that the double taxation of work is unfair, our long term ambition is to end this unfairness when it is responsible”, he declared. 

Budget verdict: Jeremy Hunt’s offering will prove no election springboard