Boris Johnson has dismissed Labour attacks over the soaring cost of living, claiming the government was “rectifying Labour’s failure to invest” in long-term energy supplies.
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner, standing in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions, claimed the UK was heading for an “iceberg”, which would “be a disaster” for families, asking the prime minister to change course. Inflation was about to hit 6 per cent and the average family would face a hit of over £1,200, she warned.
Mr Johnson had promised that wage rises would offset inflation, but “they haven’t and they won’t,” Ms Rayner said.
The prime minister said 2.2million people benefited from the warm homes discount, 4million people benefited from cold weather payments, and claimed if the UK had still stayed in the EU it would be impossible to cut VAT on fuel.
Elsewhere, a union has warned that Border Force officials could go on strike over Priti Patel’s “morally reprehensible” plans to turn back dinghies in the English Channel.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), whose members include around 80 per cent of the Border Force officials, said the policy “contravenes international law and is morally reprehensible”, and could staff to risk of prosecution.
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