An LBC clip from 2019 has come back to haunt Boris Johnson after he hiked National Insurance contributions to pay for health and social care.
In a Commons statement, the prime minister confirmed he will abandon his pledge not to raise the main rates of tax, as he set out plans to overhaul adult social care and deal with the Covid backlog in the NHS.
He said the additional revenue would pay for the biggest catch-up programme in the history of the NHS in England, with £12 billion a year to help deal with the backlog of cases built up during the pandemic.
It will also cover the reform of the social care system in England, ending what Downing Street described as “unpredictable and catastrophic” care costs faced by many families.
Mr Johnson acknowledged the new health and social care levy breached a Tory election commitment but told MPs “a global pandemic was in no-one’s manifesto”.
He has since been reminded of an interview with LBC’s Nick Ferrari, in which he pledged to never touch taxes.
In fact, he said his government would do the contrary!
Watch the clip in full below:
November 29, 2019
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) September 7, 2021
PM: “Read my lips we will not be raising taxes on income, on VAT or National Insurance.” pic.twitter.com/PjmL6bG1q3
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