Social care tax rise: NI MPs vote against tax hike

Northern Ireland MPs have voted against Number 10's plans to introduce a new health and social care tax across the UK.

But the government won Wednesday's vote in the Commons by 319 to 248.

The tax will begin as a 1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance (NI) from April 2022, becoming a separate tax in 2023.

Five Democratic Unionist Party MPs voted against it, along with the SDLP's two MPs and Alliance MP Stephen Farry.

Three DUP MPs - Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Gregory Campbell and Gavin Robinson - did not have a vote recorded.

Current Commons rules require MPs to attend Parliamentary votes in person, with virtual hybrid mechanisms ending when England's lockdown eased in July.

The UK-wide tax will be focused on funding health and social care in England, but Northern Ireland will also receive an extra £400m for Northern Ireland to spend by 2024/25.

Stormont is already set to receive an extra £180m of funding this year as a result of increased health spending announced for England.

From 2023, the increase in National Insurance will become a separate levy, while the National Insurance rates will return to their previous level.

All the main Stormont parties had already criticised the government's proposal, arguing it was regressive and inequitable.