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       Today's daily politics briefing

       An anonymous cabinet minister has said that an increase in National Insurance contributions would be “morally, economically and politically wrong,” pointing to the hardships that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused across the country.

       The unnamed minister added: “They can’t seriously think of a tax raid on supermarket workers and nurses so that the children of Surrey homeowners can receive bigger inheritances.”

       The minister’s words echo sentiments expressed by former Tory prime minister Sir John Major and former chancellor Lord Phillip Hammond.

       Speaking at the FT Weekend Festival, Sir John said: “I don’t think they should use National Insurance contributions, I think that’s a regressive way of doing it”.

       The former chancellor warned that Boris Johnson’s plan would cause “significant damage” to the Conservative party.

       Recommended UK food supplies set to worsen as more Brexit red tape is introduced within weeks, businesses warn ‘Many dozens’ of Tory MPs up in arms over Boris Johnson plan for tax hike to fund social care Keir Starmer has come a long way from the anti-capitalism of his youth

       Key Points National Insurance rise risks ‘significant damage’ to Tory Party Cabinet minister attacks tax hike plans as ‘morally wrong’ Exclusive: No 10 plotting to cut Nicola Sturgeon out of Cop26 Former Tory PM brands plan to hike National Insurance ‘regressive'

       Show latest update 1630830399

       Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UK politics, where we’ll be providing you with rolling updates on the latest news from Westminster and beyond.

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:26

       1630830635 No 10 wargaming to stop Nicola Sturgeon using Cop26 as ‘advert’ for Scottish independence

       Here’s the report from economics editor Anna Isaac revealing that No 10 has been plotting how to cut Nicola Sturgeon out of Cop26 to prevent the first minister stealing the limelight.

       Advisers at Downing Street and the Cabinet Office have been trying to work out how to prevent this autumn’s landmark Glasgow summit from becoming an “advert” for Scottish independence, according to meeting notes and WhatsApp messages seen by The Independent.

       According to the notes, it was suggested that public statements tied to the summit should focus on Glasgow as a city in the UK, and that mentions of Scotland should refer to its place within the United Kingdom wherever possible.

       It was also suggested in messages that Boris Johnson, should avoid sharing a platform with Ms Sturgeon in the run-up to and during the event, and that he should “neutralise” her by including other devolved leaders where possible.

       No 10 wargaming to stop Cop26 becoming ‘advert’ for Scottish independence Exclusive: Downing Street plot to cut SNP leader out of climate talks ‘pathetic and puerile’

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:30

       1630831004 Playing politics with Cop26 would be abdicating responsibility, Nicola Sturgeon says

       Citing an analysis which called The Independent’s revelations on No 10’s efforts to stop Nicola Sturgeon stealing the limelight at Cop26 “a sad indictment of [the] state of the union”, Scotland’s first minister suggested that playing politics with the summit would be an abdication of responsibility.

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:36

       1630831254 National Insurance hike would be ‘morally, economically and politically wrong’, Cabinet minister says

       “For once extraordinary is right,” says our chief political commentator John Rentoul over the comments from an anonymous Cabinet minister attacking the prime minister’s alleged plans to hike national insurance to pay for social care.

       “Putting up National Insurance would be morally, economically and politically wrong,” the minister told The Telegraph.

       “It kicks in at a low level and there are all kinds of exemptions which benefit the rich. If you get all your income from investments and property you don't pay a penny but if you work your guts out for minimum wage you get clobbered.

       “After all that's happened in the last 18 months they can't seriously be thinking about a tax raid on supermarket workers and nurses so the children of Surrey homeowners can receive bigger inheritances. It makes a total mockery of the levelling-up agenda and Red Wallers will be up in arms.

       “That's before you even get to the fact that a couple of years ago we promised not to do it.”

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:40

       1630831597 ‘Many dozens’ of Tory MPs up in arms over National Insurance plans

       Boris Johnson faces a backbench revolt over what Tory critics have branded “socialist” plans for a ￡10bn National Insurance hike to fund social care, with Conservatives to meet early next week to co-ordinate opposition to the plan.

       One backbencher told The Independent that Tory WhatsApp groups were buzzing with anger from “many dozens” of MPs, enough to put the PM’s 85-seat working majority at risk when the reforms come to the House of Commons.

       The plans are due to be finalised in the next few days by the prime minister, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid. Our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports:

       Dozens of Tory MPs up in arms over Johnson plan for tax hike to fund social care Backbench WhatsApp groups buzzing with concern over manifesto-breaching scheme

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:46

       1630832273 Exclusive: UK’s cut to overseas family planning aid ‘very disappointing’, leading sustainability economist claims

       The UK’s decision to cut the amount it spends on aid for family planning overseas is “very disappointing”, according to Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, a leading sustainability economist.

       In a landmark review into the “economics of biodiversity” – how the world can find value in nature instead of profiting from its destruction – published in February, Prof Dasgupta said that “growing human populations have significant implications for our demands on nature” and that there had been “significant underinvestment” in family planning programmes.

       In April, the UK government cut its funding to the UN global family programme by 85 per cent.

       “I was very disappointed with the Foreign Office because they drastically ripped apart all expenditure on family planning in the aid budget – and that was exactly in opposition to my review,” the Indian-British economist told The Independent.

       UK’s cut to overseas family planning ‘very disappointing’, green economist claims Exclusive: Prof Sir Partha Dasgupta said Foreign Office had acted in ‘opposition’ to his recent independent review on biodiversity

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 09:57

       1630832558 Labour open to tax on wealth to help pay for social care, says Lisa Nandy

       Lisa Nandy has said Labour is open to the idea of taxing wealth to help pay for social care, our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.

       With the TUC calling for an increase in capital gains tax to raise ￡17bn a year, the shadow foreign secretary told Sky News that a National Insurance hike was “a really difficult ask” for low-paid workers like supermarket staff and delivery drivers, saying: “We need to think much more creatively about this and make sure that we don’t load an unsustainable burden onto people who can’t bear it.”

       She said the “broad principle [that] those with the broader shoulders should take some of the burden” espoused by the TUC was “absolutely right”, and she made clear that this could involve a tax on assets, such as property, shares or savings.

       Labour open to tax on wealth to help pay for social care, says Lisa Nandy TUC calls for ￡17bn hike in capital gains tax on shares and property and ￡10 minimum hourly wage for care workers

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 10:02

       1630833111 Government ‘committed to reforming’ social care system, minister says

       Speaking to the BBC this morning, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi did not rule out raising tax in order to fund social care.

       Asked if people should be paying more tax to get better social care, Mr Zahawi said the government is “committed to reforming” the adult social care system.

       When pressed specifically on whether people should be paying more tax, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr: “We'll bring forward our proposals and I'm very happy to come back on your programme when the details are published to discuss how we will pay for better and reformed adult social care.”

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 10:11

       1630833795

       The backlash to Boris Johnson’s alleged National Insurance plans has sparked a frenzy of rumours that the PM could reshuffle his cabinet as early as next week as a distraction, according to The Sunday Times.

       The paper reports that Liz Truss, Sajid Javid or Michael Gove could be brought in to replace Dominic Raab as foreign secretary, amid anger over his actions during the Afghanistan withdrawal, while Gavin Williamson could be demoted to Leader of the House of Commons.

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 10:23

       1630834353 Gordon Brown calls on G7 to share millions of unused Covid vaccines with poor world

       Gordon Brown has called on Boris Johnson to convene an urgent summit of the G7 to agree the supply of millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccine to the developing world, calling the gap between vaccine availability in rich and poor countries “a moral failure on the part of the whole of the world”.

       Leaders of the G7 group – chaired this year by Mr Johnson – failed at their Cornwall summit in June to deliver on the prime minister’s pledge to vaccinate the whole world by the middle of 2022, Mr Brown said.

       Gordon Brown calls on G7 to share millions of unused Covid vaccines with poor world ‘Moral failure’ of leaving Africa unprotected will put rich world at risk from variants, says former PM

       Andy Gregory 5 September 2021 10:32

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