Rishi Sunak has announced that the cap to keep energy bills affordable will rise by a whopping 54% in April, hitting working people and families across Harborne in their pocket. The Tory’s announcement means that the average family in Harborne will pay up to £693 more on their energy bills this year, and that living standards will fall to their lowest levels since records began over thirty years ago.
In further signs that the Tories are out of touch with working people in Harborne, they have also announced a planned National Insurance and Council Tax rise, breaking a promise made to voters in the 2019 General Election. This comes at the same time that the energy hike will hit working people and families, who are being forced to choose between putting food on the table and heating their home.
Labour have warned the Conservatives for months that they must act to prevent a cost of living crisis in Quinton, but they have been too distracted by party scandals and infighting and now working people and families are paying the price for their incompetence.
Rishi Sunak’s ‘buy now, pay later’ loan to support homes with their energy bills will not come close to meeting the rising costs and families will still pay an additional £493 this year.
Cllr Jayne Francis, Harborne Councillor and one of Labour’s two candidates for local elections in May, said:
"The Conservatives are clearly asleep at the wheel and completely out of touch with ordinary people. We know from our conversations on the doorstep that people have well-founded concerns about inflation, wage stagnation, cuts to universal credit, national insurance increases, rapidly rising gas and electricity prices and food insecurity. Whilst the prime minister is reckless in his behaviour, and notwithstanding the chancellors lack of understanding of the day to day reality of the electorate, what is the Tory Councillor for Harborne saying about such matters? Shameful!"
Labour have set out a fully costed to help working people and families by saving each household up to £600 a year on their home energy bills. Labour have announced that they would immediately scrap VAT on energy bills and hit North Sea oil and gas producers with a one-off windfall tax to help people pay their bills.
Martin Brooks, our second Labour candidate for Harborne said:
"Families across Harborne already hit by rising weekly food bills now face a double whammy with their fuel bills going through the roof. Meanwhile energy companies are raking it in, with BP profits surging to over £9bn. Labour would scrap VAT on energy bills and introduce a windfall tax on energy suppliers to protect people from these increases."
To see how Labour would tackle the cost of living crisis, here
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