After months of dithering Rishi Sunak finally acted to help households with the cost of living crisis.
The Chancellor deserves no credit for opening the purse strings.
When so many people are struggling with rising food and fuel bills it would have been unconscionable for the Government not to have provided more support. The package announced today was more generous than expected but the public’s gratitude should be directed at Labour, not the Conservatives.
It was Labour that championed using a windfall tax to raise funds to cushion the financial pain. Just last week Tory MPs were ordered to vote down the opposition’s plan to impose a levy on the oil and gas giants.
The subsequent U-turn by the Tories will only reinforce the impression the Government was more concerned with shifting the agenda from partygate than genuinely wanting to help.
Mr Sunak today offered a respite, not a cure, to the economic pain afflicting the country. Many of the measures would not have been necessary if this government had not cut benefits, mismanaged the economy and run down our gas storage facilities.
ABBA blabber
The stench of partygate will continue to hang over Downing Street for as long as Boris Johnson refuses to give a full account of what happened.
The Prime Minister has failed to give a clear answer on whether senior officials interfered with the publication of Sue Gray’s report.
There has also been no adequate explanation for why Ms Gray halted her inquiries into the “ABBA party” in the Johnsons’ private flat.
If the Prime Minister wants to draw a line under the scandal he needs to start addressing some of these questions.
Cheesy lovers
Cheesecake has topped a poll of the nation’s favourite cake.
Lovers of traditional bakes such as Victoria sponge will think the decision takes the biscuit.
