Five million higher earners will be hit by a £200 'stealth tax on Middle England' because of changes to National Insurance Contributions buried in Treasury documents.

It was not the kind of Autumn Statement we had come to expect under George Osborne – all fire and brimstone – but Philip Hammond’s debut was not without its nasty side.

Former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, who is now chairman of the NHS Confederation, said Philip Hammond (shown) had made a ‘mistake’ by failing to find extra funds in last week’s autumn statement.

Currently, employees do not have to pay income tax or national insurance if their redundancy pay is under £30,000.

Ministers spent £12.6billion more than they received in taxes and other income last month - but economists were pencilling in a figure of £11.6 billion.

DOMINIC LAWSON: BBC Newsnight also cited the Depression of the 1930s as the nearest thing to modern Britain under the Conservatives.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper is keen to sign Reece James from Chelsea. James is recovering from damaging ankle ligaments nd much will hinge on his rehabilitation timeframe.

Barcelona are showing an interest in Manchester City teenage prospect Kian Breckin. The 15-year-old attacking midfielder has caught the eye of the Spanish club's scouts in tournaments.

The Ecuadorian outfit confirmed the 32-year-old's arrival on Friday afternoon by posting a video of Valencia getting used to his new surroundings.

Marco Silva wants new faces this summer with Zaha the top of his wishlist before the window closes. And after drawing a blank against Wigan Athletic, Silva is unlikely to renege on his desire for forwards.

Chelsea wing back Dujon Sterling has joined Championship side Wigan on a season-long loan, with Reece James in line to stay and work under new boss Frank Lampard.

Hearts have secured the signing of Manchester United keeper Joel Pereira on a season-long loan deal.It will be the 23-year-old's fifth temporary spell away from old Trafford.

SPORTS AGENDA BY MIKE KEEGAN: England's footballers may well have been delighted last week when the FA announced a multi-year sponsorship deal with food delivery app Deliveroo.

Derby County captain Richard Keogh (left) has been pictured on crutches for the first time since being involved in a horror car crash that could have ended his career.

Josh Brownhill scored a stoppage-time winner to win all three points for 10-man Bristol City against Charlton. Elsewhere, Derby overcame Wigan while Middlesbrough drew with Huddersfield.

IAN WHITTELL AT THE DW STADIUM: The striker hit his fourth goal in as many games, levelling after home keeper Jamie Jones had been penalised for unnecessarily picking up a back pass.

Takumi Minamino joins Liverpool as the Reds' first Japanese player and the ninth to have played in the Premier League. Here, Sportsmail takes a look back at how the first eight got on...

IAN WHITTELL AT EWOOD PARK: Wigan Athletic climbed off the foot of the Championship table on Monday night after playing out a goalless draw with Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers.

While 2019 has proved to be one of the finest years of sporting achievement in living memory, it has also provided a few less stellar moments on and off the field.

Brendan Rodgers says no player who he wants to keep will leave Leicester in the January transfer window. Rodgers is determined to keep intact a squad who have taken Leicester to second place.

The Christmas decorations are being taken down and New Year's Resolutions are already being broken. The third-round of the FA Cup is now upon us after a festive flurry of football.

A bumper set of FA Cup fixtures continues on Saturday evening with five 5.31pm kick-offs taking place. Follow all the action across the five matches HERE via Sportsmail's SAM MCEVOY.

The 20-year old has been recalled from a loan spell at Morecambe and was wanted by Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic before the ambitious Salford City swooped in.

The 32-year-old has been training with Salford this season after being released by Wigan Athletic last year. The midfielder was once viewed as a long-term replacement for Paul Scholes at United.

Everton are looking to sign Joe Gelhardt from Wigan Athletic according to The Sun, the 17-year-old who has been dubbed 'the next Wayne Rooney.' 

Robinson was left distraught when his £10m deadline-day move to AC Milan collapsed at the last minute in January. However, he could be set for a big Premier League move this summer.

THE SECRET SCOUT: Sportsmail's scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. This week they bring the full low-down on Wigan's Joe Gelhardt.

Wigan defender Antonee Robinson has revealed he needs a medical procedure to correct an irregular heart rhythm before he can play again.

Wigan's Chey Dunkley has been given special dispensation to use the club's ghost training ground as he continues to make big strides in his recovery from a double leg break.

Solo traveller Sue Murgatroyd feels penalised by single supplements after her husband Peter died from a suspected blood clot six years ago.

You don't need to break the bank to enjoy the finer things in life - you just need to know where to look. Here, we reveal how to live a life of luxury on a budget.

Flight prices for Antigua and Brazil have seen some of the largest falls this summer, a new report has revealed - while Kiev has also seen a fall, and a boom in interest, thanks to 'dark tourism.'

The average cost of a family holiday has dropped by £76 with six out of ten popular holiday hotspots seeing a reduction in price over the last year, according to research by M&S Bank.

While soaring costs are well documented for people suffering from visible or severe illnesses a diverse group of consumers are suffering with illnesses largely hidden from view.

In the race to be named the most popular family package holiday destination, Tenerife has come out on top for the second year running, according to TravelSupermarket.

Research by The Mail on Sunday found that Airparks Drop and Go at Birmingham is a 14-minute drive from the airport, with buses only coming every 25 minutes.

Little known Lviv in Ukraine heads up the list of the top ten cities identified by Airbnb as having the highest growth in bookings over the past 12 months.

The best time to book flights for Christmas is 13 weeks in advance - the last week of September - as travellers will get the best price for both flights and accommodation, according to Skyscanner.

The Civil Aviation Authority is readying contingencies, which could include having to repatriate thousands of customers if the travel agent goes bust during their holidays.

Budapest came out as the cheapest destination for a city break with an emphasis on museums and theatre, while Prague and Warsaw came second and third according to the Post Office report.

As temperatures in Britain drop and the dark nights draw in, many will be dreaming of a warm destination they can escape to for a winter break. We reveal where flights have fallen most.

Holidaymakers should first check whether their credit and debit cards can be used abroad for spending and withdrawing money from ATMs without extra charges.

Upon arrival the family were shocked to find the resort had a strong smell of sewage radiating from the nearby tip, swarms of ants in their bedroom, rat traps in every corner and unclean sheets.

Julie Tuck's family arrived at Doncaster Airport on Wednesday 17 July at 1pm, ready to depart to Kos at 4pm. However, at 4pm they were all advised that their flight had been cancelled.

Over the past five years, around 3.8 million holidaymakers have injured themselves on the slopes as a result of consuming alcohol. Some 1.3 million of them ended up with broken limbs.

After enduring a 12-hour flight delay returning from his daughter's wedding in Corsica, Bob Feltham was eager to claim the £1,335 his family was owed.

Although the Christmas decorations have only just been put away for another year, many families' attentions have already turned to booking a holiday.

All inclusive holidays are becoming increasingly popular with a 28 per cent increase of families searching for the packages this year compared to last year, new data has revealed.

BA has a number of bonus partner offers which allow travellers to bag more Avios points without spending more than you usually would when sorting out your holiday.

Millions who were planning to head abroad this year to visit well known attractions, will still be able to do so from the comfort of their own home.