Anneliese Dodds appeared on LBC's Cross Questions and was asked by host Iain Dale for Labour's alternative to the National Insurance increase which passed through the House of Commons on Wednesday. Labour voted against the increase but Mr Dale wanted to know what the party would offer instead and demanded Ms Dodds provided "specifics". After claiming she and her party had a plan of placing the burden on the "broadest shoulders", Mr Dale called it an "airy-fairy" answer and wanted to know the numbers and figures they would follow to tackle the social care issues.

       The House of Commons voted by 319 to 248 in favour of a 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance contributions from next April.

       Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced to the House of Commons an increase of National Insurance by 1.25 percentage points to pay for social care reforms and to clear the NHS backlog.

       The increase, which will be put in place from April 2022, was met with widespread criticism with some stating the tax punishes workers and the young.

       The Conservatives also promised in their 2019 manifesto they would not increase National Insurance.

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       Unlike Income Tax, National Insurance contributions do not massively increase with income meaning those at the top and bottom of earning will essentially pay similar amounts.

       But while the Labour Party voted against the measure and has been opposed to the increase, shadow ministers have struggled to come up with an alternative when quizzed.

       Mr Dale told the show: "I have yet to hear from anybody on the Labour front bench or from Kier Starmer who have said we don't like the National Insurance rise, we voted against it today.

       "But so far has said this is what we would do."

       Ms Dodds said Labour has laid out their plans and said the taxation and the burden would fall on the "broadest shoulders".

       She then blasted the Government for not coming to Labour to speak about taxing stocks and shares with Mr Dale pointing out there will be a dividend tax.

       The LBC host then attempted to bring things back to focus and wanted to know the specific figures such as whether income tax would rise to 45 percent.

       Ms Dodds repeated her "broadest shoulders" line with Mr Dale stating: "I want measures, I don't want airy-fairy focus on those with the broadest shoulders."

       After the former Shadow Chancellor clashed with guest David Starkey about the UK's debt figures with Mr Starkey blaming the pandemic and Ms Dodds disagreeing, Mr Dale again asked for two specific taxes she would raise to fund the social care reforms.

       Ms Dodds vaguely mentioned capital gains tax before telling LBC she would not come up with a plan "on the back of a cigarette packet" which she accused the Conservatives of doing.

       Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy appeared on the Andrew Marr Show and was also grilled on Labour's lack of a plan.

       The BBC journalist pointed out: "So you don't have a plan, they at least have a plan, which involves we read, raising National Insurance.

       "I need to know whether Labour would vote, in the end, for raising National Insurance to give us a better social care system in this country or would you not?"

       Ms Nandy said she assumed the Government would come up with a "proper plan" that did not involve raising National Insurance but could not back the tax raise which would burden the less well off.