Julia Lopez

That was a policy that was put forward. My right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Northallerton (Rishi Sunak) decided to change it because the economy was in a challenging state after the pandemic and we needed to think again about whether it was the right thing to put that pressure on employers, so we went back on that policy. To return to what employers have been going through, they have the ongoing stress and responsibility of employing people and wanting so desperately to continue to provide opportunity for them. They have to think about the other families who are relying on them as small business founders who are pushing to provide a community with a great service and a happy experience. They are pub landlords, builders, restaurateurs, service firms, salon owners, café owners, shop owners. Work, work, work, work, work. Employers are not just working people; they are uber-taxpayers. They made it through covid, they made it through an energy crisis, but many are now saying that they cannot make it through Labour. When Labour broke its manifesto commitment in its first Budget by increasing national insurance, it did so in a highly destructive way. Not only did it increase the rate, but it lowered the point at which employers start paying NI on an employee’s salary. Lowering that threshold hit part-time, entry-level and lower-wage jobs the hardest, making employees so much more expensive to retain. I do not know about you, Madam Deputy Speaker, but suddenly, countless businesses in my constituency started sounding the alarm, especially those employing people who need flexible, part-time hours because of caring responsibilities.