Tories pledge another National Insurance cut ahead of manifesto launch – BBC News

Asked if Labour would match the Conservative promise to cut 2p from National Insurance, Streeting says they’re not able to make that commitment because “the money simply isn’t there”.

He says Rishi Sunak is “taking people for fools” and there’s the choice between the “irresponsible Conservative party with a record of economic vandalism or a responsible Labour that’s being honest with the country”.

He says every promise Labour makes is one the country “can afford” and that Sunak “can’t say that”.

The interview now turns to how Labour’s policies are being funded.

Sally Nugent asks Streeting if they would increase capital gains tax – after previously ruling out increases in income tax rates, National Insurance, VAT and corporation tax.

Capital gains tax is paid on profits from selling an asset, and is set at a lower rate than income tax.

Streeting says he “can certainly confirm not a single policy in that manifesto requires Labour to increase capital gains tax”.

Streeting says Labour is committed to rebuilding NHS dentistry – that’s going to include an extra 700,000 emergency dentistry appointments being created, 100,000 of those earmarked for children.

It’s part of a £1.6bn package to “take action on waiting times”, he tells BBC Breakfast.

He says Labour will “help make sure those people in pain and agony” will be able to get the emergency dentistry they need.

Streeting emphasises that longer term, there needs to be contract reform. He says on the Monday after the election, if Labour wins, he’ll hold talks with the British Dental Association about this – adding that many dentists are in the private sector.

On that note, he says there’s a “horrible status quo” where those who can afford to go private do, while “poor people” get a “poor service”.

First, Streeting is asked about Labour’s plans to stop the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

He says he “applauds” supermarkets who currently ban selling them to children but the current scheme is “voluntary”.

“Parents and teachers have told us about the impact of these products”, he says, and they are having “really serious” effects on children’s concentration and sleep, saying some children are “wired”.

Streeting says “we need consistency everywhere”, and more broadly his party is trying to take more “preventative action”.

Wes Streeting is now facing questions on BBC Breakfast. Click the Play button at the top of this page to watch along – and we’ll have key lines here.

The morning media round is about to get under way.

Sent out to bat for the Conservatives today is Mel Stride, work and pensions secretary, and Wes Streeting, shadow health secretary, for Labour.

They will be speaking to both BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme shortly.

We’ll be bringing you updates their key lines here.

The full Conservative manifesto is coming later this morning – but many of their pledges have already been announced in the general election campaign.

• A further 2p would be cut from National Insurance – and it’s understood the manifesto will include a longer-term aim to scrap the tax entirely
• But the party says they’ll keep income tax thresholds frozen until 2028 – meaning more people will pay more tax as their pay increases. Labour has also said they’ll do this
• The Conservatives have promised to increase the income tax personal allowance for pensioners
• Rishi Sunak also says they will get rid of stamp duty tax for first-time buyers of properties costing up to £425,000
• 18-year-olds will have to take take part in some form of national service

• And they’re also promising a further 8,000 police officers if they win the election

One policy that will be in the Conservatives’ manifesto later today is a further 2p cut in employees’ National Insurance (NI).

NI is a tax on earnings, paid by both employees and the company they work for – it’s currently at 8% for workers, but the Tories pledge would drop this to 6%.

The government has already cut the NI rate for employees twice this year – first taking it from 12% to 10%, and then down to 8%.

The prime minister says his party would help working people “keep more of the money you earn” – but Labour have criticised the party’s ideas as “the most expensive panic attack in history”.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the general election campaign – with just 23 days left to go before polling day.

By lunchtime, we’ll know what’s in the Conservative manifesto, beyond the new pledge to further cut National Insurance by 2p making headlines this morning.

(As a reminder, a manifesto is a set of pledges from a party seeking to form a government. As history shows, these are not iron-clad promises – but more on this later).

Later this week will also see manifesto launches from the Green Party and Labour.

Elsewhere today, will be out campaigning, including the Lib Dems, SNP, and Reform UK – and we’ll bring you updates and analysis on all this right here on this page.