On whether a small business owner would count as a working person, she said she could not go into specific details about “who may or may not be captured in tax measures that may or may not happen in the Budget”.
She said she understood people’s frustration but added: “They haven’t got long to wait.”
She reiterated the government’s message that ministers faced “tough choices” following the “inheritance” left by the previous Conservative government.
On the same programme, Griffith accused the government of behaving “at the very least like the worst form of dodgy car hire firm, conjuring up small print that never existed”.
The chancellor is also expected to increase the National Insurance rate for employers in the Budget and lower the threshold for when employers start paying tax, in a bid to raise £20bn.
Business argue that the hike would make it harder to hire staff, hindering the government’s aim of boosting growth. The increase could also hit employees if employers opt to reduce pay rises.
