The U-turn on NICs tells us where power lies in Mrs May’s party. Mr Hammond has exposed just how far a Conservative government lacks the strength to impose its will on its own party. The chancellor was constrained by an irresponsible and opportunist pledge in 2015 not to raise income tax, NICs and VAT. But Mr Hammond is badly wounded. Mr Corbyn was lacklustre, to put it generously, in his Commons response to the NICs U-turn.

Source: The Guardian March 15, 2017 18:45 UTC