Chancellor Rishi Sunak will unveil a number of measures to tackle the cost of living crisis on Thursday. Mr Sunak’s intervention came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to resign in the wake of the Sue Gray report into Partygate which revealed widespread flouting of lockdown rules at 10 Downing Street.
The government is desperate to move attention away from the widespread public anger over staff drinking sessions - and refocus on the squeeze in living standards caused by soaring inflation. A windfall tax on oil and gas giants, who have benefited from globally high prices, is widely expected to help fund measures which will be targeted at the most vulnerable.
Measures which have been discussed as part of a package worth around £10 billion could include a further increase to the warm homes discount to help low-income households cope with rising energy bills. Other measures which have been discussed include increases in the winter fuel allowance, a further cut in council tax or a VAT cut.
