Labour considers raising national insurance to fix £30bn NHS 'black hole'

[dipsydoodle]

Radical plans to increase national insurance contributions to plug a looming £30bn a year "black hole" in NHS funding and pay the spiralling costs of care for the elderly are being examined by Labour's policy review.

The Observer has learnt that the idea is among options being considered to ensure NHS and care costs can be met under a future Labour government, without it having to impose crippling cuts on other services in successive budgets.

Senior party figures have confirmed that a scheme advanced by the former Labour minister Frank Field – under which funds from increased NI would be paid into a sealed-off fund for health and care costs – is being examined, though no decisions have been taken.

Recent figures based on data from NHS England and the Nuffield Trust and produced by the Commons library suggest that NHS costs alone will go from £95bn a year now to more than £130bn a year by 2020.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/19/labour-national-insurance-nhs

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. It figures Field would want NI raised, rather than income tax

or, god forbid, the higher rates of income tax, or capital gains tax, or inheritance tax.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Frank Field; still the unspeakable thinking the unthinkable