LABOUR’S plan to freeze the energy price cap would ensure people don’t pay a penny more on their fuel bill this winter, says Warrington South Candidate Sarah Hall – while Tory MP Andy Carter says Labour doesn’t have the best track record on energy solutions in the town!
Cllr. Hall, Labour’s candidate for Warrington South constituency and Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said Labour “wouldn’t let people pay a penny more” on their winter fuel bill as the party press home their plan to address the Tory cost of living crisis.
But Mr Carter says the plan isn’t sustainable and would provide free money for everyone, including millionaires who didn’t need it.
Cllr. Hall said that the party’s plan to stop bills rising this winter would save the average household in Warrington £1,000, get energy costs under control for the future and help tackle inflation.
Labour’s fully-funded £29bn plan would prevent the energy price cap rising through the winter, paid for by an extra tax from oil and gas giants who are making eye-watering profits.
It means that households across Warrington South will receive £47 million from Labour’s fully costed plan.
Cllr. Hall also said that the emergency package announced by Labour leader Keir Starmer earlier this week, would reduce energy demand and lower bills in the longer term by insulating 19 million homes across the country over the next decade through Labour’s Warm Homes Plan.
Labour originally urged the government to implement this Warm Homes Plan a year ago. If they’d acted, they could have insulated 2 million of the coldest homes by this winter – saving the typical household an additional £1,000 every year on their energy bills.
Cllr. Hall added: “Families across Warrington South are scared about how they’ll get through the winter with bills through the roof. Labour’s plan to save households £1,000 this winter and invest in sustainable British energy to bring bills down in the long-term is a direct response to the national economic emergency that is leaving families fearing for the future. Only Labour can give Britain the fresh start it needs.”
But Mr Carter responded: “Pressures created by global events including Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the Covid pandemic have undoubtedly caused a strain on the cost of living. That is why the Government is delivering a £37 billion package of support, including £1,200 for the lowest-income families – as part of our Plan for a Stronger Economy. I’m quite certain the new Prime Minister will be making an announcement in good time on further measures of support once the price cap is published later this month.
“It is impossible for any government to solve every problem, but our priority is to help the millions of families who are struggling now as we secure long-term economic growth.”
He added: “Labour in Warrington really don’t have the best record on solutions in the energy sector, their most recent foray involved Councillors borrowing money to purchase a loss-making energy supplier which then lost millions more when it went bust.
“Their plan simply isn’t sustainable and provides free money to everyone, even millionaires who simply don’t need it – it’s straight out of the Gordon Brown playbook and anyone suggesting that the way to tackle inflation is by controlling prices knows very little about history and economics.”
