Rishi Sunak insists no cuts to state pension to fund national insurance ambition

Rishi Sunak has insisted the state pension would not be cut to fund his ambition to scrap national insurance contributions altogether.

The Prime Minister said Sir Keir Starmer should “stop scaremongering” after the Labour leader repeatedly pressed for details on how the move would be funded.

In the spring Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a 2p cut in national insurance and outlined a “long-term ambition” to abolish it altogether.

Labour argues the policy would amount to £46 billion and “puts people’s retirement at risk”.