West Cheshire Labour continue calls for emergency budget and end to cost-of-living crisis

Local Labour politicians are continuing calls for an emergency budget following the Government’s U-turn on an energy company windfall tax.

Labour has long called on the Government to bring forward a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas companies which have long been enjoying soaring profits.

In the past five months the Government has three times voted down the plan in the House of Commons, but Chancellor Rishi Sunak has finally conceded that Labour’s proposals for the tax will now be included in his energy crisis plans.

However, Labour is still pressing the case for more widespread measures to be introduced via an emergency budget.

Welcoming the windfall tax change of heart, Chester MP Chris Matheson said: “Hard working families in Chester and up and down the country are facing soaring energy bills and are being squeezed more than ever before by the Conservative made cost-of-living crisis.

“The Government are out of touch and out of ideas. They have been dragging their feet for far too long and it has cost families £16.5 billion in energy bills, all while energy providers have been pocketing unimaginable amounts.

“Although I welcome the announcement, I am baffled why it has taken the Government so long to adapt the obvious solution that Labour has been calling for months.

“Energy companies said they are willing to pay up, why did the Chancellor delay? It is clear he was prioritising the needs of his own City investment funds and City hedge funds over the needs of the British people.

“The U-turn is a step forward, but we now need to see an emergency budget with further economic help, including scrapping the rise in National Insurance.”

Mike Amesbury, MP for Weaver Vale said: “I’m glad the government are finally starting to listen, but it has simply taken too long and does not go far enough to deal with the extent of the crisis we face. Despite the Chancellor’s U-turn, working people continue to face massive energy and fuel bill rises, council tax increases effectively forced on local authorities by this Government and a National Insurance hike. 

“We have a pickpocketing Chancellor who is content for his own family to pay less but to tax you more, with taxes at a 70-year high! The Tories talk about levelling up opportunities, instead working families are living a very bleak reality. Britain deserves better.”

Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, welcomed the announcement as it will ease some the burden faced by so many across the country. “However, we must not forget it was this Government that got us in this mess in the first place and now the Chancellor is scrabbling to get out of a self-made hole.

“The Chancellor has copied and pasted most of Labour’s ideas, yet he still failed to go all the way and deliver a full emergency budget with a scrap on VAT on home energy bills and the scrapping of the National Insurance hike.”

“The Government’s delay has allowed energy providers to profit while British people fall further into poverty. Constituents have been telling me for months of the dire situation they are in, with fears that things will only get worse before getting better. It is simply absurd that it has taken the Government this long to provide the obvious support needed. They are out of touch and clearly not fit to get us out of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council Leader Louise Gittins said: “The cost-of-living crisis is getting deeper and deeper by the day for families in Cheshire West. The Chancellor finally adopted the Labour proposed windfall tax on energy providers. This alone will help ease the strain on hundreds of families in our borough who are facing the biggest squeeze on living standards in a generation. However, the Government should go further with a full emergency budget.

“Here is Cheshire West, we know and see the true struggles people and families are facing as a result of soaring prices. The Chancellor’s grand announcements will not heat people’s homes or put food on the table, we must make sure the Government follow through with their promises and go even further to provide the support needed. Some families cannot wait until winter, they need the help now.”

Pictured - Chester MP Chris Matheson.