There could be choppy waters ahead for the PM, as potential rebels line up over social care, net-zero and planning as the annual Commons clashes ensue today
Boris Johnson has a significant inbox of spending, parliamentary rows and a likely reshuffle coming this autumn. As parliament returns today and Whitehall prepares to take a tentative step towards “politics as usual”, The Guardian takes a look at the biggest coming issues of the session.
Social care and national insurance rises
If Boris Johnson does decide to go ahead with an increase in national insurance to fund health and social care, some backbenchers say privately they would struggle to support it.
Some object to tax rises in themselves, others are concerned about the fairness argument, that young, low-income workers should not be paying to allow wealthy retired people hit by social care costs to pass on more to their children – national insurance contributions are not levied on pensioners. Jeremy Hunt and many other senior Tories have made this argument publicly.
Ultimately many MPs are keen enough to fix the crisis and reduce waiting lists that they may approve the plan, but perhaps only after considerable persuasion.
Get the full briefing at Today’s News Briefing at WTX News. All the news from the UK; condensed and a copy of all of today’s papers.
………………………
