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Delaying National Insurance rise would be 'no problem'

  A senior official previously charged with vetting the Treasury's plans has told the BBC chancellor Rishi Sunak can afford to postpone April's tax rises.
Sir Charlie Bean, who recently left the Office for Budget Responsibility, said the plan for an immediate rise may be political rather than economic.
April's National Insurance rise will tax the average worker £250 a year, and raise costs for firms which hire staff.
The chancellor maintains the priority has to be shrinking the deficit.
Mr Sunak said that requires "hard work, prioritisation, and the willingness to make difficult and often unpopular arguments elsewhere."
But Sir Charlie said: "There is no problem in the UK borrowing several billion pounds for one extra year. What you can't run is sustained large deficits, but the pace at which you close a deficit is basically a political judgement,"
The hikes breaks a manifesto pledge and spells the highest tax burden since the 1950s. Critics include those in Rishi Sunak's own party: MP Sir John Redwood fears the hikes could "sandbag" the recovery.
He is among those who've highlighted that the deficit has been closing faster than expected recently anyway, thanks to a stronger jobs recovery.
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