Kenilworth's MP voted in favour of National Insurance increases as PM Boris Johnson's controversial Health and Social Care Levy was approved by Parliament.

MP for Kenilworth and Southam Jeremy Wright was one of 319 to vote in favour of the plans, as five Conservatives rebelled against the PM.

The approved bill will see a 1.25 percentage point increase in NI payments to help deal with the NHS backlog and social care reform.

All four Warwickshire Tories voted in favour of the plans which go back on Conservative manifesto pledges not to raise National Insurance Contributions.

In a statement on his website Mr Wright said that the vote came down to an "inescapable reality" that there are more people needing health care for longer and that it would be "painful and unpopular" however the money raised.

Mr Wright also admitted that the need to increase NI contributions has come after "collective failure to bring forward and agree meaningful social care reform" which he described as "largely indefensible".

He added: "Alternative sources of funding are either undesirable or infeasible. It cannot be right to increase our national debt yet further, or to divert funding from elsewhere.

"Those who say that another form of extra taxation would be preferable need to explain what they have in mind."

As a result of the vote taxes will not be at their highest point since the Second World War and the levy will see an extra £12 billion raised for social care annually.

Mr Wright also said that there were "benefits of this change".

"It is the potentially unlimited nature of care costs that is most worrying for most of us," he said.

"A cap of £86,000 and increases in the amount of capital an individual can retain and still have the state contribute to (or cover completely) the costs of their care reduce that worry substantially given that one in seven of us now will end up paying more than £100,000."

Follow this link to read his statement in full.

(Image of Jeremy Wright via parliament.uk