Voters overwhelmingly support a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas companies to help families with rising energy bills, a new poll for The Independent found.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure to use today’s mini-budget to help people manage their finances as the cost of daily living rises.
A Savanta ComRes survey for The Independent found that the majority of voters – including among Tory voters – support scrapping the 1.25 percentage point hike in National Insurance contributions next month.
A majority also support a reduction in fuel tax and the introduction of a minimum wage of £10 an hour. Families are facing a further blow to their finances next month, with the average £700 rise in annual household gas and electricity bills set to take effect.
This should now be followed by a further increase of £600 to £1,000 in the fall due to the effects of the war in Ukraine.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak intended today’s statement to be just an economic update, but plans have changed and the mini-budget is now expected to set out new measures to tackle the cost of energy crisis. life.
Voters want Sunak to drop NI hike and tax North Sea energy giants, poll finds
According to a new survey for The Independent.
And the Savanta ComRes survey also found majority support – including among Tory voters – for Rishi Sunak to scrap the 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance (NIC) contributions next month, cut the fuel taxes and introduces a minimum wage of £10 an hour.
The findings have put increased pressure on the Chancellor to deliver aid in today’s mini budget to households facing what Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis described as a ‘tax punch in the face” of soaring prices.
Andy Woodcockhas more on the results of the exclusive poll here:
Tom BarnesMarch 23, 2022 05:30
ICYMI: Labor asks Rishi Sunak to reverse National Insurance hike
Labor has called on Rishi Sunak to use his mini budget to reverse the government’s planned 2.5% hike in National Insurance contributions.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said Labor will not pursue the hike – made up of 1.25% each on payments to employers and employees.
Tory MPs have also lobbied the Chancellor to rethink the tax hike, including Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg who has called for it to be stopped.
Tom BarnesMarch 23, 2022 4:41 a.m.
Chancellor has ‘wiggle room’ to help tackle cost of living crisis, economist says
A leading economist has said Chancellor Rishi Sunak has ‘wiggle room’ to help tackle the rising cost of living.
Sir Charlie Bean told the BBC that rising inflation and improving tax revenues would give Mr Sunak a bit more “wiggle room” in today’s spring statement.
According to new figures, the government collected £53.7billion in tax in February, up more than £4billion from a year ago.
Sir Charlie Bean, who was previously head of economic forecasts in the Office for Budget Responsibility, suggested this would give Mr Sunak between £25bn and £50bn to ‘play with’ in his mini-budget.
Tom BarnesMarch 23, 2022 03:17
Last minute changes to today’s mini budget
Chancellor Rishi Sunak orders last-minute changes to Wednesday’s mini-budget after being warned he faces a ‘moment of truth’ this week over the cost-of-living crisis, Political Editor Andre Bécasse and economics editor Anna Isaac write.
The Independent learned that the Office for Budget Responsibility has been instructed to recalculate the budget forecast to take into account changed Treasury plans, a highly unusual move.
Read the full story here:
Tom BarnesMarch 23, 2022 12:06 a.m.
The Chancellor pictured prepares for the Spring Statement
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was pictured preparing for the spring declaration, which starts at 12.30pm today.
In a post on Twitter, Sunak said he was “providing greater economic security for our people, accelerating growth and productivity, and ensuring that the proceeds of that growth are shared equitably.”
He added: “It’s not the job of a single statement. But that work starts tomorrow. Spring reporting starts at 12:30 p.m.
Tom BarnesMarch 22, 2022 04:29
The Chancellor pictured prepares for the Spring Statement
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was pictured preparing for the spring declaration, which starts at 12.30pm today.
In a post on Twitter, Sunak said he was “providing greater economic security for our people, accelerating growth and productivity, and ensuring that the proceeds of that growth are shared equitably.”
He added: “It’s not the job of a single statement. But that work starts tomorrow. Spring reporting starts at 12:30 p.m.
Holly BancroftMarch 22, 2022 12:44 a.m.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.independent.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-23 03:25:55