Boris Johnson has admitted breaking his manifesto promise not to raise taxes but said he could not "shirk the challenge" of fixing the NHS.
The Prime Minister announced a 1.25% increase in National Insurance contributions today (September 7), which could mean extra payments totalling hundreds of pounds a year for many people.
The move flies in the face of his election manifesto, which promised not to increase taxes.
However, Mr Johnson said that a global pandemic was also not in the Tory manifesto and said the increase was needed to put the NHS "back on its feet" after the pandemic.
Speaking in a press conference, Mr Johnson said: "No Conservative government wants to raise taxes but nor could we in good conscious meet the costs of this plan simply by borrowing the money and imposing the burden on future generations.
"So I will be absolutely frank with you, this new levy will break our manifesto commitment but a global pandemic wasn't in our manifesto either.
"And everyone knows, in their bones, that after everything we have spent to protect people throughout that crisis we can't now shirk the challenge of putting the NHS back on its feet which requires fixing the problems in social care and investing the money needed.
"We will do what is right and reasonable and fair.
"we will make up the Covid backlog, we will fund more nurses and I hope we will remove the anxiety of millions of families up and down the land by taking forward reforms that have been delayed for far too long."
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