Tax hikes, benefit cuts, social care, the crisis in Afghanistan: Boris Johnson faces grilling from MPs as parliament returns
The PM will have to answer tough questions including the Afghanistan crisis and how he plans to fund social care reforms when parliament resumes today.
Monday 6 September 2021 16:51, UK
Boris Johnson is set to face significant opposition from MPs over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis, possible plans to hike National Insurance, and cutting the Universal Credit uplift when parliament resumes today.
In a statement in the Commons, the prime minister is set to praise the "courage and ingenuity" of all involved in the Kabul airlift.
He will be facing highly critical MPs from both sides as he reiterates his pledge to use "every economic, political and diplomatic lever" to help the Afghans left behind.
Mr Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab have both been attacked over their response since the Taliban takeover of the country.
Labour have called the government's operation "chaotic" after thousands of Afghans who worked with Britain, their families and other vulnerable citizens were left behind when troops withdrew.
Mr Johnson is also expected to reveal controversial and long-awaited reforms to social care.
His fix is estimated to cost £10bn - but plans to increase National Insurance to pay for it have prompted criticism from his own party - even though they are yet to be formally announced.
Former chancellor Lord Hammond has warned there will be a "very significant backlash" if he goes ahead with the manifesto-breaking move.
Any increase in taxation would be a breach of the 2019 Tory manifesto, which contained a personal "guarantee" from Mr Johnson not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
Labour has also voiced opposition to the move.
Three former Conservative chancellors have labelled the reported plan as a tax on the working young.
Lord Hammond, chancellor between 2016 and 2019, told Times Radio that he believed "breaking a manifesto commitment in order to underwrite the care costs of older people with homes... would provoke a very significant backlash".
Lord Kenneth Clarke, chancellor between 1993 and 1997, told LBC radio it was "too heavily weighted on the lower paid" and there was "no reason" why people who continue to work after state pension age no longer pay it.
Former prime minister Sir John Major also warned that the move would be "regressive".
Reports on how much the increase will be have varied.
The Times said Health Secretary Sajid Javid was pushing for a 2% increase, while Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly arguing against any increase of more than 1%.
Number 10 wants a one percentage point rise, according to the The Daily Telegraph, with the Treasury pushing to go higher, possibly 1.25 percentage points.
The Sunday Times reported that lifetime contributions on care will be capped at about £80,000 and National Insurance will be increased by 1.25% to raise between £10bn and £11bn per year.
Mr Johnson also faces further opposition over his commitment from October to stop the £20 uplift to Universal Credit handed out during the pandemic .
Research by the charity Action for Children has revealed that working families will be facing the biggest overall drop in their benefits income since 2010.
It has led to criticism from MPs and charities that Mr Johnson is driving families into poverty.
Sometime this week, the prime minister is also expected to announce an extra £5.5bn for the NHS to help tackle backlogs and manage the pandemic for the next six months.
This extra money comes on top of £6.6bn extra allocated to the NHS in March for the first half of 2021/22.
However, it's half of what NHS bosses are demanding.
Health leaders are waiting for news of funding for next year with NHS bosses last week calling for £10bn extra in 2022/23.
Government sources told Sky's political correspondent Rob Powell that discussions over the reforms to social care and health funding beyond next year were ongoing, with some details still to be worked out.