YP Letters: It's only fair that better-off self-employed should pay more

Theresa May and Philip Hammond have backtracked on their Budget tax increase.

The raising of NI contributions for better-off self-employed people was, for me, the best announcement in the Budget before its reverse. The significance is that a Tory Chancellor has finally  recognised that a fair society, with decent public services, cannot be built unless taxes are increased.

As Prime Minister, David Cameron was irresponsible and rather arrogant to commit to not raising income tax or NI. He also declared “the NHS is safe in my hands”. That was an important promise, so it was rash to rule out a key means of raising more revenue at the same time. The economy may be growing but there is still a deficit and severe cuts are being made to health, social care and other vital sectors.

Self-employed people point out they do not get holiday or sick pay. But set against that, they bypass the employers’ 13.8 per cent NI contributions.

So, whilst I understand their indignation about a manifesto pledge being broken, their treatment does seem roughly fair compared with employees. The real fairness issue is that people doing well in our society should make a contribution to it.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WHAT a surprise that the Government is now seen as weak because it has listened to the people’s representatives and overturned the planned rise in NIC for the self-employed. Seems like common sense to me.

From: Malcolm Smith, Leeds.

SO Philip Hammond is contemplating how to punish us for his stupid and ill-fated decision to raise National Insurance on the self-employed. Having been one of those risk takers previously, I applaud the U-turn and would suggest that the answer to raise the £2bn shortfall is oh so simple – reduce the overseas aid payments.

From: Tom Cooper, York.

I TOTALLY agree with Tom Richmond (The Yorkshire Post, March 18) – there’s scope for a new centrist party, other than the Lib Dems.

From: Janet Berry, Hambleton.

I HAVE just read that we will be contributing almost £4m towards the publicity campaign for the 2019 European elections which we will not be taking part in. To think we used to be concerned about the wine lake and the butter mountain! It is all completely out of control.