Brown facing a £13bn black hole

WORKERS earning the average salary face a rise of £900 a year in their tax bill to fill the £13bn black hole in Gordon Brown's finances, the Conservatives claimed yesterday.

Michael Howard warned that the huge increase would dent the wages of hard-working nurses, teachers and police officers.

The Tory leader challenged the Chancellor to rule out any repeat of the £8bn National Insurance rise which followed the last General Election.

With crucial local and European elections looming next month, Howard accused Labour of raising tax 66 times since coming to power seven years ago and said Gordon Brown 'is addicted to tax'.

The Tories claim the Chancellor is wrestling with a £13bn gap between what he has promised to spend on public services and the amount he can raise from existing taxes.

They estimate that bridging the gap would require a 4p in the pound rise in the basic rate of National Insurance - up from 11p to 15p on earnings between £4,108 and £31,720.

This would cost someone on average earnings - around £26,800 - an extra £75 a month, or £900 a year. A police constable with ten years' experience earning £29,000 would pay nearly £1,000 a year more, while a teacher on £25,000 would pay £840.

The bill for a Grade E nurse earning just over £21,000 would be £684.

Labour hit back, claiming the Tories would cut public spending by £ 18billion without offering tax cuts.