Energy bills soaring to £4,000 a year, costing an average household £500 in January alone, would plunge more than half the country into fuel poverty.
The warning must wake up the Government to the depth of the problem when both Conservative contenders, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak aren’t up to the job.
Unfunded tax plans by Foreign Secretary Truss are too across-the-board, giving a large slice to wealthier homes instead of targeting help to lower and middle income families, while ex-Chancellor Sunak lacks credibility after making up offers as he goes along.
Nothing should be ruled out to shield people from potentially ruinous fuel bills including a Covid-style response, taking emergency public control of gas and electricity suppliers to operate them in the national interest.
Renewables and nuclear power will eventually end dependence on internationally traded gas and electricity but until then we need to take back control of energy bills.
Lionesses’ Day
All of Britain enjoying a Bank Holiday if England’s Lionesses win the Euros on Sunday would have the crowd roaring.
When the footballers are exciting millions of us, a day off to celebrate would only be fair when it was mooted had the men beaten Italy at Wembley instead of losing on penalties.
We enjoy too few national holidays in Britain compared with many other countries including our closest European neighbours..
That extra day for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year was a miserly return for her 70 years on the throne so let’s do it properly should Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses bring football home.
Finding Elmo
Elmo the Houdini tortoise will be easy to track with a balloon attached to him.
With his impressive record of escaping the owner in Sheffield should be worried he doesn’t somehow turn it into a hot air balloon and try to float over the garden fence.
