CHARLOTTE Nichols MP has responded to the Government’s energy cost announcement, calling it woefully short of what is needed to support the public.
The Chancellor announced plans for a one-off subsidy of £200 to electricity bills that the public will pay off over time and a one-off council tax rebate, having rejected Labour proposals for a VAT cut on domestic energy bills for a year and extension of the warm homes discount, paid for by a £1.2 billion windfall levy on the oil and gas companies.
Charlotte said “On the day that the cap on annual electricity prices rocketed by over 50% to almost £2000 and interest rates doubled, the Government has chosen to protect Big Oil and Gas rather than struggling households in Warrington North.
“Just this morning Shell announced that its annual profits quadrupled as these companies are expecting near-record income – because of global prices, not because of their own efforts. They can afford to support households who are feeling ever more of a squeeze from higher prices, higher taxes and cuts to universal credit. Our straightforward proposal would take £200 from the bills of a typical household as well as another £400 saving for 9.3 million of low- and middle-income households.
“Labour’s plan is fully-costed, gives greater support and is a safer bet. If energy prices don’t fall after this year, the Tories are only storing up pain by adding these costs on to high bills at a later date. It’s creating a credit card debt without buying anything tangible.
“This is another instance of the Conservatives’ risky approach to our money, on top of the £4.3 billion they have written off to fraud, £13 billion wasted on defence projects, and the £8.7 billion lost on PPE spending.
“The decisions you make in these difficult times reveal your priorities and character. The Conservatives are too chaotic and weak to stand up to Big Oil and Gas, while Labour side with the hard-pressed British public.”
