This has been Boris Johnson’s worst week in politics since last week. Under-fire over partygate, accused of watering down the Sue Gray report and facing yet more letters of no-confidence, inflation and the cost-of-living crisis look set to further erode his standing still further. On Thursday, Rishi Sunak unveiled a package of measures to try to alleviate voters’ economic pain, announcing a £400 reduction for energy bills and a £650 for eight million families on benefits. This will be paid for by a £5 billion windfall tax on energy companies.
Not all voters though seem that impressed by Sunak’s choice. One of the reasons which Boris Johnson gave for voting leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum was the UK’s ability to cut Value Added Tax (VAT) on energy prices if it left the European Union. Such a move enjoys considerable support on the Tory backbenches, with veteran MP John Redwood arguing that ‘VAT and green taxes are a big part of the energy price problem.
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