I think that the main takeaway from the 2024 budget has to be the 25 billion increase in employer national insurance contributions, lowering the threshold of when employers start paying NIC for an employee, from £9,100 down to £5,000.
I think it is a very good move. Employers need to pay their way and typically they are the organizations who make profit and in many cases, exploit people whilst making such profits. So I am glad to hear that they are being forced to contribute more to the economy.
22 billion, increased spending on the NHS also seems like a positive move.
Raising alcohol duty, tobacco duty, air passenger duty and means-testing the winter fuel allowance are probably the obvious downsides of the budget, as well as the knock-on effect of tax rises impacting real-time wages and any increases in the minimum wage. The 2024 budget indicates a £0.77 increase in the hourly minimum rate set by government for employers to pay employees, from £11.44 to £12.21.
All in all, I think the budget is a definite improvement over previous budgets by the various conservative governments, dating back to when they took power in the UK in 2010.