HUNT'S TAX CUT GAMBLE WILL PUT £900 IN WORKERS' POCKETS

JEREMY Hunt will unveil a bold Budget giveaway that puts £900 into workers' pockets this year with a 2p cut to national insurance.

- Sam Lister

After deciding reducing income tax was too expensive, the Chancellor will gamble on the measure being enough to boost Tory election hopes and economic growth.

His feelgood package is designed to ease families' finances after the strains of years of global turmoil. Mr Hunt will reduce national insurance contributions for the second time in less than six months in his drive to give people back more of what they earn.

It is part of the Government's plan to wean the country off its dependence on high migration levels to secure economic growth.

The Chancellor will promise an increase in national income that means high living standards for "every family in every corner of the country" He had been hoping to cut income tax, but this was deemed potentially inflationary.

In today's Budget, Mr Hunt is expected to say: "In recent times the UK economy has dealt with a financial crisis, a pandemic and an energy shock caused by a war on the European continent.

"Yet despite the most challenging economic headwinds in modern history, under Conservative governments since 2010 growth has been higher than every large European economy.

"Unemployment has halved, absolute poverty has gone down, and there are 800 more people in jobs for every single day we've been in office.

"Of course, interest rates remain high as we bring down inflation.

But because of the progress we've made because we are delivering on the Prime Minister's economic priorities we can now help families with permanent cuts in taxation.

"We do this not just to give help where it is needed in challenging times. But because Conservatives know lower tax means higher growth. And higher growth means more opportunity and prosperity.

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