TWO of Bolton’s three MPs voted in favour of increasing National Insurance by 1.25 per cent for workers and employers to help fund health and social care.

Bolton’s two Conservative MPs, Mark Logan and Chris Green voted in favour of the Health and Social Care Levy, to raise National Insurance in order to raise £12bn to fund reforms to health and social care.

The Labour MP for Bolton South East, Yasmin Qureshi, voted against the bill.

The key proposals for the new health and social care plan include people no longer having to pay more than £86,000 in care costs over their lifetime, from October, 2023. Once people have reached this cap, ongoing costs for personal care will be paid for by local authorities.

And those with less than £20,000 will not have to pay towards care costs from their assets, but may have to contribute from their own income.

MPs voted 319 to 248 in favour of the reforms, breaking a Conservative manifesto pledge made at the 2019 election.

Yasmin Qureshi has criticised the move, saying the Conservatives have broken promises made in their election manifesto and that it will disproportionately impact low paid key workers.

Ms Qureshi said: “The Prime Minister, Chancellor, and all of the Tory MPs elected in 2019 made a promise to their constituents and potential voters that they would not raise any taxes on ‘income, on VAT, or National Insurance.’

“Not only have they broken that promise upon which they were elected, but they have opted to raise National Insurance contributions on the lowest paid.

“This disproportionately impacts key workers, carers, and nurses, many of whom we clapped for during the pandemic and who helped keep Bolton running, and leaves those with the broadest shoulders the least to burden.”

Mark Logan, MP for Bolton North East, voted in favour of the increase to national insurance to fund social care, saying it is not a decision that the government would have taken lightly.

He told The Bolton News: “It’s right that we are finding a way to fund social care into the future.

“This issue has been dodged by too many governments for too many decades, and of course no Conservative increases tax lightly, but we must act to protect the health of Boltonians now and for years to come.”

Bolton West MP Chris Green also voted in favour, but added: “ however, he does not feel this goes anywhere near enough to fixing health and social care.

“(I’m) Very disappointed that the Government felt this was the only solution to deal with the problems and challenges with social care,” Mr Green told The Bolton News.

“The question I was faced with was whether to back the only option that would make a contribution or to oppose this solution.”