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Millions of self-employed workers face paying an average £134 more than planned after the latest Tory U-turn.

The Treasury tonight admitted it had ditched moves to scrap Class 2 national insurance contributions, which affect 3.4 million people.

It would have given self-employed workers with profits of between £6,205 and £8,424 a year an average £134 tax break.

Previous Chancellor George Osborne pledged to abolish the levy in the 2015 Budget.

The shake-up was due to come into effect this year, but Chancellor Philip Hammond delayed it until April 2019.

Today, he confirmed he was abandoning the plan altogether.

(Image: PA)

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: “This is yet another betrayal of the self-employed.

“These people are the engine of the economy and have been let down again, while giant corporations have seen their tax bills slashed.

“Few will ever trust Philip Hammond or the Tories again.”

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry said: “The self-employed community has been let down today, missing out on a promise to reduce their tax burden.

“This raises serious questions once again about the Government’s commitment to supporting the self-employed.

“The move is extremely disappointing and flies in the face of tax simplification.”

Last year, the Government tried to break its 2015 manifesto promise not to raise national insurance contributions by announcing an increase to Class 4 NICs for self-employed people.

Ministers were forced to abandon the bid days later.