Iain Dale's Fury At Tories' "White Van Man Tax"

8 March 2017, 16:47

A very angry Iain Dale lays into Philip Hammond for abandoning the Conservatives' manifesto promises and turning their back on small businesses with today's Budget.

The Chancellor said in today's Budget speech that he was bringing in a rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the self-employed.

Over the next two years, the main rate of Class Four NICs will increase by two per cent. Iain - who runs his own business - is not happy.

"This is really penalising people who are self-employed, right through the scales...you can be a plumber, you can be a white van man.

"I always thought the Conservative Party was the party of small business, I thought they were the party of entrepreneurs. Clearly I was wrong on this particular one."

OK, so the Tories have got it wrong. But does Iain think Labour can capitalise?

"Jeremy Corbyn has an opportunity here.

"He's got nearly 2.5m people who are going to be severely annoyed tonight. This is the sort of tax hike the Conservatives used to accuse the Labour Party of wanting to do, yet no Labour government has ever done this, have they?

"What a pity though [Jeremy], that you didn't mention business in your own speech.

"Over to you Jeremy Corbyn!"