Boris Johnson’s ‘out of touch’ comments on cost of living crisis anger Tory MPs
Boris Johnson’s fumbled defence of the government’s record on the cost of living has exasperated Conservative MPs and sharpened fears about the party’s performance in Thursday’s local elections.
Asked about a pensioner forced to travel around on buses to stay warm and keep heating bills down, the prime minister’s first response was to boast that he introduced free travel for older people. During the interview on Tuesday, he admitted that the government had failed to do enough to alleviate the pain of soaring costs.
Amid growing fears over the impact of the cost of living crisis, the Treasury is looking at whether it can cover some or all of this autumn’s energy price rise from government funds, the Guardian has learned.
It is understood that Rishi Sunak’s department has been examining whether to simply absorb most of the cost, rather than offer a discount on bills or a council tax rebate. Sunak is concerned about the inflationary impact of more borrowing – but the option of absorbing some or all of the rise has been considered.
A Treasury source said they “don’t recognise this as policy work being done at this point in time”. A spokesperson added: “Energy bills are capped until the autumn. We won’t know yet what the size of the rise will be given the volatility of prices we are seeing now and it’s right that we wait … [to] decide what the solution should be.”
Thursday’s vote will be the first UK-wide electoral test since details emerged of lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
Tory MPs are braced for losses in London and the south of England as a toxic combination of Partygate and the rocketing cost of living take their toll. MPs in northern England said they are more confident of holding on to local councillors.
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