MORE than 12,000 self-employed people in York will be hit by Phillip Hammond’s national insurance changes, national statistics show.

Around nine per cent of the city’s workforce are self employed, according to the ONS, but the proportion is higher in the York Outer constituency, and Conservative MP Julian Sturdy has hinted he could rebel against the Government if the proposals are not changed.

Self-employed people will face average increased costs of £240 a year under the heavily-criticised changes, which were announced in Wednesday’s budget.

Mr Sturdy said he had concerns about the policy and would be looking at the details to see what impact it could have on his constituents. He added: “I am pleased that this proposal has now been delayed until the Autumn to allow the Government to present further measures for providing wider social benefits to the self-employed.

“This policy needs to be changed, and in its current form I would not be able to support the Government on this matter.”

York Lib Dems have also hit out at the proposals, and challenged Mr Sturdy over whether he had any prior warning of the plans.

James Blanchard, who stood for the party in York Outer in 2015, said: “This will come as a major shock to the thousands of self-employed people across York already facing a Brexit squeeze to living standards.

“This government is giving tax cuts to wealthy corporations and tax rises to hard-working entrepreneurs. Meanwhile companies will continue to save money by using workers on a self-employed basis without giving them the security and benefits of staff jobs. I challenge Julian Sturdy to make clear about whether he knew this change was coming.”