Bridget Phillipson: We donât need to act yet on fuel duty
The war in Iran has now gone on for one month and concerns continue to grow over the effect the conflict will have on economies all over the world. On Sky News this morning, Bridget Phillipson played down fears of impending fuel shortages, telling British consumers to âcontinue as you areâ. Trevor Phillips noted that more than half of the price of fuel goes to the government and asked the Education Secretary why the government isnât scrapping the proposed 5p rise to fuel duty in September. Phillipson said the Chancellor is âabsolutely committedâ to protecting British people from the impacts of the conflict and that the government will âtake a view closer to the timeâ on fuel duty.
Phillipson: Weâre drifting into conspiracy theory territory
Morgan McSweeney told police that his government-issued phone had been stolen in October last year after Peter Mandelson had been fired as US ambassador but before parliament forced the government to publish all communications relating to his appointment via a humble address. On Wednesday the Conservatives released a statement claiming that the phone theft story âstinks to high heavenâ and asking why the former chief of staffâs messages about Mandelson werenât backed up. On Sky News this morning, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch questioned why McSweeney didnât tell the police he was working in No. 10 when he reported the crime. On GB News, Bridget Phillipson told Camilla Tominey that phone thefts are a regular occurrence and described suspicion about the story as a âconspiracy theoryâ. Tominey argued there has been a lack of transparency around the timing of the crime, with Labourâs Steve Reed mistakenly suggesting the phone was stolen more than a year ago. Phillipson said all ministers and McSweeney would comply with the humble address and hand over all necessary communications.
Kemi Badenoch: North Sea drilling crucial for security
Kemi Badenoch is calling on the government to reverse a ban on new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, claiming it will create jobs and benefit the UKâs energy, financial and national security. However, critics have argued that expanding North Sea drilling will have minimal effect on prices. On the BBC, Laura Kuenssberg asked Badenoch what the policy would mean for consumers. Badenoch admitted that the drilling wouldnât âgo directly on to peopleâs billsâ but she claimed that the profits and taxes made from extra drilling could be used to subsidise household bills. The Tory leader added that her partyâs âcheap power planâ would reduce costs by scrapping the âsillyâ taxes introduced under Labourâs drive for renewables, arguing that the country is ânot ready for a full transitionâ.
Badenoch: Letâs not pretend bailouts donât have a cost
Laura Kuenssberg also asked Kemi Badenoch who would receive support under a Conservative government in case of a huge spike in energy costs. Badenoch said she was concerned that the government prioritises âbenefits, benefits, benefits constantlyâ. She called for the removal of taxes on bills to take the âburden off everybodyâ, without direct government interventions. The Conservative leader also claimed we have to âstop pretending that thereâs a big pile of cash that Keir Starmer has which heâs going to use to help peopleâ, arguing that taxpayers are the ones funding benefits hand-outs. Kuenssberg asked if the Tories would rule out direct financial support. Badenoch said she isnât ruling out anything but called on the government to take other measures to reduce costs first.
Zia Yusuf: Politics is about choices
Reform UK has pledged to remove VAT on household energy bills to bring down costs. Laura Kuenssberg asked the partyâs home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf how Reform would pay for the policy. Yusuf claimed the move would be âmore than coveredâ by removing green levies, such as scrapping subsidies for electric cars and heat pumps. Kuenssberg asked if costs for electric cars and heat pumps would then rise for consumers while putting jobs in green industries at risk. Yusuf claimed this was a âfallacyâ as green levies were creating jobs in China rather than the UK. He added: âThe number of âgreen jobsâ created are dwarfed by the number of jobs lost as a result of the insane net zero policies.â Yusuf suggested that Reform is not opposed to renewable energy if it makes economic sense but claimed the UK has the âhighest energy costs in the worldâ because âvirtue-signalling politicians [want to be] Greta Thunbergâs best friendâ.
Comments