A policy analyst at a leading thinktank has said the controversy surrounding Phillip Hammond's budget is a bit overblown because the research shows half of self-employed workers won't be affected.
Stephen Clarke spoke to Julia Hartley-Brewer about the 2% hike on national insurance contributions for the self-employed announced by Mr Hammond yesterday.
This has caused fierce controversy, with the tabloids accusing the Chancellor of hurting the self-employed people of Britain while Labour claim he has broken promises to freeze tax and national insurance in the Tories' 2015 manifesto.
Clarke works, who works as a policy analyst for the Resolution Foundation, told Julia: "I think perhaps some of the headlines were over the top.
"Yes, there will be some self-employed people who will lose out, but our research shows half of all self-employed workers won’t lose out.
"It’ll be mainly the higher paid workers who do, and so it [National Insurance hike] should be seen in the round.
"The changes brought in yesterday will not affect low-earners."
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