LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Nadhim Zahawi, education secretary of the UK has claimed that Rishi Sunak is planning more cost-of-living assistance, adding that it would be “irresponsible for me to say ‘job done'” days after the announcement of the spring statement.
Sunak is expected to reconsider a council tax rebate in the autumn, according to sources, after the chancellor was heavily criticised for a remark that seemed to do little to ease the strains of inflation and rising energy prices.
Sunak announced a hike in the national insurance contribution threshold, as well as a 5p reduction in fuel charge, but no additional benefit increases. According to the Resolution Foundation, half a million children might be driven below the poverty line the next year.
Despite reported disagreements between Boris Johnson and Sunak over the statement’s reception, Zahawi told Sky’s Sophy Ridge that there will likely be more assistance.
He thinks he will continue to keep an eye on it because it was only right, he remarked. It would be totally irresponsible for him to say ‘job done,’ because energy prices were fluctuating and inflation was high, so saying ‘job done’ would be absolutely reckless.
However, he believes that providing £22 billion in one year of assistance after spending £400 billion was the correct thing to do, he added.
According to the Sunday Times, the chancellor is contemplating suggestions for a new council tax rebate in the autumn, with customers potentially facing higher heating bills in October. On Friday, the energy price cap will climb by about £700 to £1,971 – yet the typical dual fuel bill might rise to just under £3,000 by October 2022.
Sunak had been “playing games” by announcing a future 1p income tax cut in the statement while people were struggling this year, according to the shadow labour and pensions secretary.
Rishi Sunak had a lot more leeway in this spring statement and mini budget, Jon Ashworth observed, but instead of acting in the best interests of the British people, he was playing games.
He was operating in his personal interests because he believes that delivering a two-year income tax cut will benefit him politically with Conservative MPs if there is a leadership race or that it will suit the Tory electoral grid, he added.
Labour has demanded that the chancellor reduce VAT on energy bills and apply a windfall tax on oil and gas profits, along with scraping the planned national insurance increase in April.
He has imposed extremely punishing tax rises, the real-terms cuts are very severe to the support and pension like universal credit, and he is expecting people to be grateful because after two years, he’s saying there will be a cut in income tax although that income tax cut nowhere near offsets the 15 tax rises that he has imposed on the Britons, 3,000 extra per household a rough and ready calculation is done, he told Sky.
“He is Mr Tax, a tax-raising chancellor, and the British people are paying the price.”
