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National Insurance Contributions Bill

My Lords, I do not necessarily want to support the noble Baroness, because she is perfectly capable of making her own argument. However, if the Government raise taxes, by and large, they spend it on something. That does not mean that they have not raised taxes in the first place. That is what is happening here. It may be that the money is being spent on the most wonderful purposes that humankind has ever considered, but that does not negate the fact that in order to spend it you have to raise it. That equates to a tax.