Tax rises should be postponed, if not stopped altogether

Although Prime Minister Boris Johnson is still insistent on increasing national insurance contributions in April, the economic situation makes it clear that this should be at least postponed, if not stopped altogether.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has more headroom than seemed likely last autumn when the increase was announced, and will still have a decent chance of meeting his long-term fiscal targets if he chooses to scrap the increase. Tax revenues are coming in higher than forecast, with the economy growing faster than expected and the impact of higher inflation boosting tax returns.

While the deficit is still huge (£147bn), it is £13bn less than the Office for Budget Responsibility expected. And indeed £13bn is actually rather larger than the annual amount that the rise in national insurance was expected to bring in – £36bn over the next three years.

The economic recovery is, however, fragile and if UK growth slows maybe it is not a good idea to increase taxes in the budget, particularly if you don’t need to and which would slow it a bit more. In economic terms, what maybe seemed a sensible move last autumn now seems both unwise and unnecessary.

Alex Orr

Edinburgh

In an attempt to dodge responsibility for “Partygate”, Boris Johnson is now quick to get in front of the camera and commit the UK to fully supporting Ukraine against threatened Russian invasion. But, given the evidence of the past months when he has been exposed to the world as a serial liar, how much credence can Ukraine or our Nato allies put on any commitments he makes?

I doubt Putin is concerned, as he no doubt has the measure of the man who became prime minister despite a history of lying to wives, partners and employers and since becoming PM has added the Queen to that list. What does the world think of the British public who knowingly chose such a weak character to lead us?

John Simpson

Ross on Wye

I am heartily sick of hearing about “dog-gate”. It’s time we stopped taking this almost prurient interest in these kinds of matters. The real issue was the complete mess that was made in the run-up to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, a situation precipitated by Trump and then botched by Biden. Under the appalling circumstances, the UK did a pretty good job of getting people out. The dogs were simply not an issue. No one lost a place on an aircraft because of it.

Let’s maybe take some pride in the fact that we recognised that obligations sometimes extend beyond our own species.

Dr Ewan McLeish

Marlow

The Conservative Party’s defence of Downing Street parties seems to be coalescing around three things. The prime minister did not understand the rules; the rules could be interpreted to suit; and they were not that important.

Can I remind people that Boris Johnson libelled a whole city and its citizens in the House of Commons by saying we in Leicester did not abide by the rules (we did) and that we did not understand the rules (we did). The reason Leicester went into lockdown was because his government withheld vital public health information from the Leicester local authority (as well as other local authorities).

Iestyn Davies Jones

Leicester

Your piece about otters found to be contaminated with pollutants made for distressing reading (‘Toxic “forever chemicals” present in otters living in England and Wales, research finds’, 26 January). Unfortunately, the image you used to illustrate it showed a beaver, not an otter. Living on Mull (aka Otter Island), I was fortunate enough to be able to check my assumption by looking out of my sitting room window at the otter trotting across my garden.

Susan Ringwood

Isle of Mull