Move to Freeze Bills Cannot Place Future Burden on Families
Stirling MP Alyn Smith has backed calls for a U-turn over UK Government plans to charge households for the cost of the energy bill freeze – warning families must not be saddled with debt.
Responding to reports Liz Truss plans to impose a multi-billion pound energy bill loan on families, which households could be forced to pay back as a surcharge on top of their normal bills for years to come, Mr Smith urged a rethink on where the burden should fall.
Rather than heap more financial pressure on households, Mr Smith argues the UK Government must instead pay for the freeze through a combination of an expanded windfall tax on the excess profits of major companies, including energy companies, and growing UK Government tax receipts.
It comes as a new YouGov poll found 57% of Scots are ‘disappointed’ that Liz Truss will be Prime Minister, seven in ten (69%) say she will be ‘worse’ or ‘about the same’ as Boris Johnson, and eight in ten (78%) say they have ‘no confidence’ or ‘not very much confidence’ that she will have the right plans to tackle the rising cost of living.
Stirling MP Alyn Smith said:
‘A freeze to energy bills is an absolute necessity to families and households across Stirling – but they shouldn’t be the ones left paying for UK Government incompetence. Instead, the focus should be on excess profits of major businesses, especially energy companies. Lumping multi-billion pounds worth of debt onto already stressed households is morally wrong and bad economics.
‘We desperately need to see support for businesses as well, as they struggle without even a basic energy price cap to keep bills down. We’re heading for a severe humanitarian and economic crisis unless the UK Government and the incoming Prime Minister take heed of industry, households and experts – and get a move on. Any plans for tax cuts for the wealthy severely misreads the mood music.’
Notes for editors:
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/liz-truss-plans-freeze-energy-bills-january-prime-minister-1834631
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2022/09/05/75a5d/1
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2022/09/05/75a5d/2
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2022/09/05/75a5d/3
