Charities' plea over £1.4bn tax rejected

LABOUR has ignored pleas from desperate charities facing a £1.4billion jobs tax, saying "the money has to come from somewhere".

- Jonathan Walker

Charitable organisations - including those helping the seriously ill and elderly - have warned they will need to make massive cuts after the Chancellor increased employers' national insurance contributions.

The NHS was excluded from the rise announced in the Government's first Budget but charities will be forced to pay up, even if they provide health services.

They had issued a passionate plea to Rachel Reeves to think again but Labour's Stephanie Peacock, who has responsibility for charities in her role as Minister for Civil Society, has now ruled out any changes.

She said: "The bottom line is that we have been very clear that we want economic stability and the money does have to come from somewhere - it is tax, borrowing or cuts.