New figures released by Stoke-on-Trent Labour reveal that the average worker in Stoke will pay an extra £199 in National Insurance Contributions alone.

All told, a total of £19.6m will be taken out of the local economy and put into the Government’s coffers to fund spending.

The increase pushes taxes up to a 70-year high – and comes at a time when energy bills are set to rise by almost £700 and inflation is at a 30-year high.

Publishing the figures, Labour Group Leader Councillor Jane Ashworth OBE said:

“Families in Stoke-on-Trent are facing a cost-of-living crisis, yet instead of helping people get by, the Conservatives are making things worse by raising taxes – at the worst possible time.

“Energy prices are through the roof, the cost of a grocery shop is rising every week, and inflation is higher than it’s been for decades. Families are struggling to put food on the table and keep their homes warm, yet the Government are making life harder.

“The Government were more than happy to write off billions in fraudulent loans and PPE we couldn’t use, but when it comes to helping real people, they put up taxes and turn their backs. This is levelling down in action.

“We can all see that Boris Johnson and his Conservative Cabinet are so focussed on covering up their corruption and the illegal parties that they’ve forgotten what they were elected to do and are failing on the very basics. At a time when energy bills are skyrocketing, they are forcing families to take out loans to heat their homes. Just as families are paying more just to survive, the Government and the Conservative Council are putting up taxes. It’s not fair and it is hurting families here in Stoke.”