Young people, low paid workers and families in Lanark and Hamilton East are being “forced to pay the price of Westminster failure” following Boris Johnson’s plans to hike National Insurance contributions.

Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley last night voted against proposals to take more money out of the pockets of hard working people who already face difficult choices.

The increase to national insurance contributions will mean the lowest earners could see as much as £130 removed from their take home pay as a result.

The move comes on the back of Tory plans to remove the £20 Universal Credit uplift which could leave thousands of claimants unable to cope.

Young people are “getting an increasingly bad deal from the UK government” and are being forced to shoulder the burden of regressive tax rises, skyrocketing house prices, poorer pension prospects, increased costs for travel and other charges.

The SNP MP said the Tory plan to impose a regressive National Insurance increase will “add to the intergenerational unfairness imposed on younger generations” – and stood in stark contrast to the approach taken by the Scottish Government, which has funded social care provisions from current budgets, scrapped tuition fees, invested in affordable and social housing, and introduced a wide range of benefits to support young people from birth – including the Best Start Grant, the Scottish Child Payment, protecting the Education Maintenance Allowance, free bus travel for under 22s, free prescriptions and free dentistry.

Commenting, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley said:

“Yet again, young people in Lanark and Hamilton East are being forced to pay the price of Westminster failure and shoulder the burden of another regressive Tory tax hike.

“Boris Johnson’s damaging plan to increase National Insurance will unfairly hammer young people, low paid workers and families with hundreds of pounds in costs each year – and add to the intergenerational unfairness that Westminster has imposed on younger generations.

“Young people are getting an increasingly bad deal from the UK government, which is failing to deliver its side of the social contract. Under the Tories, young people face regressive tax rises, stagnant wages, skyrocketing house prices, poorer pensions, and increased charges for basic necessities.

“In stark contrast, the Scottish Government has funded social care provisions from current budgets and invested in young people by scrapping tuition fees, building affordable housing, protecting the Education Maintenance Allowance, and introducing a range of progressive benefits from birth – including the Best Start Grant, the Scottish Child Payment, free bus travel for under 22s, free prescriptions and free dentistry.

“It’s not acceptable for Westminster to endlessly add to the growing burden that young people face, while stripping them of the benefits that previous generations enjoyed. Nor is it acceptable to effectively impose a new Tory poll tax on Scottish families – who would be forced to pay for a crisis in England caused by the failure of Westminster governments we didn’t vote for.

“Boris Johnson must go back to the drawing board and think again.”