People will be “on the streets” and the UK will face face civil unrest this winter unless households are given more help to pay skyrocketing energy bills, a Conservative MP has predicted.
Rishi Sunak supporter Kevin Hollinrake MP said that, without extra support, there would be demonstrations over Liz Truss’s tax cut plan that would provide only an extra “pound a week” to the poorest households, while at the same time giving about £30 a week to the well off.
Hollinrake added: “These people are going to be on the streets. Things are going to be that bad for some households.”
His comments came as energy company bosses joined demands for the Tory government to get a grip on the situation.
The companies said if the prices rises seen had happened in other sectors people would be paying £25 for a pint of beer.
They also accused ministers of letting customers pay the price of the war in Ukraine, as they demanded urgent action.
Utilita chief Bill Bullen said consumers “cannot wait” for September 5 when the next prime minister is installed and called for immediate action on the energy price crisis “for the good of the nation”.
The watchdog Ofgem is set to announce another new price cap on Friday, amid spiralling household bills.
Labour seized on Hollinrake’s comments, accusing the Tories of being driven more by “hopeless divisions” than concern about energy prices.
Shadow communities minister Alex Norris said: “I think what we heard from Kevin Hollinrake is more reflective of a Conservative Party with hopeless divisions, neither of which think the other one is much good."
He added: “I don’t think the rest of us should think either of them are any good.
“What is really frightening for me is, at a time when families are really struggling, when people up and down the country are so concerned, that the conversation being had in the leadership contest doesn’t seem to reflect those concerns to meet that challenge.”
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