The Game's Not Straight Boris

 

For as long as I can remember, Conservatives, particularly in opposition, have characterised an increase in National Insurance contributions as tax on jobs. Nothing has changed except now, as a gale of public disquiet about the NHS treatment backlog threatens to further undermine perceptions of Conservative competence, something must be done, say the pointy-headed focus groups. So, in a breach of an explicit manifesto commitment and disguised as a hard-choice Covid recovery strategy, it has become a question of don’t read my lips. The leaked proposal to shift the risk of long- term social care provision from individual to state will be greeted by thigh slapping hoorays in the affluent heartlands of Conservative support. Whatever levelling up means, this isn’t it. According to Fraser Nelson, as many as 1 in 6 pensioners have assets in excess of £1m. Offspring of this fortunate slice of society will be salivating at the thought that their inheritance will be safe from the demands of long-term care provision for Mum and Dad. Trebles all round? In a double whammy to hard working families, or whatever the current political euphemism for this section of the electorate might be, most working people will see their take home pay decreased whilst their affluent neighbours are laughing all the way to the probate office. The press says Boris’ proposals are a political gamble.  Well, they might be but in this event the game’s not straight.