Rishi Sunak grilled on plans for pensioners in Commons
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Rishi Sunak, 41, is set to unveil plans to help Brits deal with the increasing costs of energy bills as industry experts warn prices could rise by 50 percent to £1,915 for a typical household. The Chancellor is expected to dish out state-backed loans which will allow firms in the energy industry to reduce bills.
However, Conservative MPs have suggested Mr Sunak should prioritise cutting taxes to help Britons deal with the crisis.
The former chairman of the ERG Steve Baker, 50, told The Telegraph: “Once again they are piling intervention on intervention when we should be a free market, conservative Government.
“The levies should be suspended and moved on to general taxation.
“I’m always going to be attracted to doing things which reduce the tax burden on consumers, rather than bailing out people on the supply side at the taxpayers’ expense.
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“That’s not capitalism, that is a form of crony corporatism which I’ve always opposed.”
The Government has come under pressure to make cuts to the 12 percent green levies attached to energy bills.
Boris Johnson, 57, also faced calls from MPs to axe VAT on energy bills.
Mr Johnson, a key Vote Leave campaigner in 2016, said if the UK opted to sever ties with the European Union then the indirect tax could be removed.
Despite the latter being a clear benefit of Brexit, the Government has resisted both demands even though it could cut £250 from the average bill overnight.
Sir John Redwood, 70, also echoed Mr Baker’s criticisms of the Chancellor’s call.
The Wokingham MP said: “Taxing us more through national insurance to lend more money to power companies is not the way to ease the cost of living squeeze.
“Tax cuts and lasting cuts to fuel costs by producing more is what we need.”
Another ex-minister added: “After the bounce-back debacle, you would have thought the Government would have learnt that lending out people’s money with no guarantee it will be paid back is a bad idea.
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“The Conservative Party surely would be better off cutting taxes like green levies and VAT.”
However, Mr Sunak is also considering plans to hand out council tax rebates to help the poorest families in Britain.
The Telegraph reports the proposals could see temporary council tax cuts for the lowest property bands.
The move is believed to help many Brits living in Labour’s former Red Wall constituencies.
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