Boris Johnson's National Insurance hike will hit young people hard, claims SNP

Young people are being forced to pay the price of Westminster failure, the SNP has claimed, warning Boris Johnson's plans to hike National Insurance will unfairly hammer young people, low-paid workers and Scottish families.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said young people were being forced to shoulder the burden of regressive tax rises, £9,250 a year university tuition fees, skyrocketing house prices, poorer pension prospects, and increased costs for travel, dentistry, prescriptions and other charges.

He said UK Government plans to impose a regressive National Insurance increase would "add to the intergenerational unfairness imposed on younger generations" – and argued it stood in stark contrast to the approach taken by the Scottish Government.

Reports – unconfirmed by the UK Government – have claimed life-time contributions on care will be capped at about £80,000 and National Insurance will be increased by 1.25 per cent to raise between £10 billion and £11bn a year.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has spoken out against the planned rise to National Insurance.