Member

We must call this Bill what it is: it is a jobs tax, and it will hit many of the small businesses that already struggle to stay open on our high streets, be that a local cafe, a corner shop, a hospitality business or even your local hairdressers. Whether I get my hair cut here in Parliament or in Altrincham, those small businesses will be hit hard by this tax. Not only does this Bill have wide-ranging impacts; the costs are debilitating for many businesses and charities. All told, this is a £23.7 billion tax on jobs. As we heard in the debate on Monday, it will hold back growth, stifle wages and leave people worse off. These are the people who were given a solemn commitment by the Government at the general election that national insurance would not go up. Promises were broken and financial burdens on working people concealed. But the British public are not stupid.