Sunak due to announce new financial measures, at 11am today.

Volver, I'm not actually praising the Tory party, you just want to believe that anyone who doesn't support your views is wrong! I'm not going to pretend I know what Saetana means if it is even a word, why don't you just say what you mean instead of trying to be clever? Everyone is entitled to an opinion without, we just don't have to always agree

I think, in the end, it might end up a Lab/LibD pact, which I think we had once before.

And, of course, in 2010, we had the Tory/LD coalition.

The Greens seem to be losing support, because of energy prices.

It might end up as an ABC election - anyone but Conservative.

Not sure the SNP would be that relevant to the rest of the UK.

The next election predicted will be end of 2023/beginning of 2024. A lot can happen until then.

Thats the job of any opposition party, to make out they are pushing for things to happen when they know that usually they are already being looked at and usually foregone conclusions but need working out. Opposition can then take credit for their ideas? Anyway I'm not sure why we waste our time spouting and getting annoyed as at the end of the day the General Election is in approx 2 years so people can vote with their tick in the box they choose and I'm sure we will be hearing about party/beergate a lot more next year in the run up to the election. Not sure who I'm voting for yet, I'm a bit disillusioned at the moment, I was looking around at some of the party policies and trying to work out if I vote Lib Dems if they will actually get in, from what I can see in the newspapers people are hoping for a coalition of Labour/LibDems/Snp/Greens - (actually everyone but the Conservatives) imagine all of them fighting for their own policies and having to give in to each other as they've all joined forces, more green taxes (green party), more money and power for Scotland (SNP), legalising recreational use of cannabis for adults(Lib Dems), even higher taxes for the wealthy (Labour) remember higher taxes for the wealthy usually means higher ticket prices for football matches, concerts,theatres etc,etc. Might not bother!

mollie11158

I thought parliament broke up on 27/5 - Mon 6/6/22 and that was the reason for the announcement on 26th, also only received the Ofgem report earlier in the week?? Obviously already looking at what they could do to help as can't just pluck figures out of the air overnight. Yes it is very close to the Sue Gray report but that couldn't be published until the police had finished their investigation. I would rather know now than wait another week or so to find out if help is coming. Did the UK cause the energy crisis and everything else thats happening at the moment?? I thought the situation was worldwide. I don't work but my husband has his state pension and a private pension of £700 per month so approx £1500 a month and were still paying a mortgage. I feel really sorry for young working families at the moment but not so much for people who just won't work to help themselves (I don't mean people who can't work just people who choose not to work and think they're entitled to a free life) I worked 46 years before giving up due to ill health (can't claim pension for another 2 years)we don't request help but we're not as bad off as some so the extra will be very helpful. I'm really interested in the pensioners who are only receiving approx £800 per month state pension as thought there was a minimum figure and then you can get help, eg "Pension Credit

You might get Pension Credit if you’re retired and on a low income.

You’ve already reached the Pension Credit qualifying age. Check if you’re eligible to claim Pension Credit" so was confuseed to see some pensioners are only living on the actual state pension with no savings? Surely there is help for them.

There is help for them. If they get Pension Credit, it is a gateway top up for help with other things.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know what they can and should be claiming.

They need to check what they might be entitled to:

benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/

I think they had already worked out that they had to do something. Some people were getting to the point of actually becoming destitute.

But, I think the timing of the announcement was aimed at changing the headlines.

Cynical me....?

I thought parliament broke up on 27/5 - Mon 6/6/22 and that was the reason for the announcement on 26th, also only received the Ofgem report earlier in the week?? Obviously already looking at what they could do to help as can't just pluck figures out of the air overnight. Yes it is very close to the Sue Gray report but that couldn't be published until the police had finished their investigation. I would rather know now than wait another week or so to find out if help is coming. Did the UK cause the energy crisis and everything else thats happening at the moment?? I thought the situation was worldwide. I don't work but my husband has his state pension and a private pension of £700 per month so approx £1500 a month and were still paying a mortgage. I feel really sorry for young working families at the moment but not so much for people who just won't work to help themselves (I don't mean people who can't work just people who choose not to work and think they're entitled to a free life) I worked 46 years before giving up due to ill health (can't claim pension for another 2 years)we don't request help but we're not as bad off as some so the extra will be very helpful. I'm really interested in the pensioners who are only receiving approx £800 per month state pension as thought there was a minimum figure and then you can get help, eg "Pension Credit

You might get Pension Credit if you’re retired and on a low income.

You’ve already reached the Pension Credit qualifying age. Check if you’re eligible to claim Pension Credit" so was confuseed to see some pensioners are only living on the actual state pension with no savings? Surely there is help for them.

I'm afraid your first paragraph is just a paean to the Tory party Saetana

Its just bizarre, sorry. I'm always amazed by how gullible people are. Especially the ones who tell me I'm never pleased.

Sums it up:

??????

Sunak said several weeks ago that he was waiting for Ofgem to give an estimate of how much the energy cap was going to rise in October before he announced further measures. This has happened and further measures have been announced. Some people will never be happy, regardless of how much the government does. The "windfall tax" will raise far more than Labour's idea for one, and energy companies can offset some of this tax by investing more in UK gas, oil and renewables.

Disgusted by some of the comments regarding the £625 - I am one of the people who will get it (two instalments, half in July and half in the Autumn) and it will go towards clearing some of the bills I am behind on, NOT cigarettes and alcohol. This money is designed to help with the cost of living generally, as opposed to the £400 which will come directly off our energy bills. I for one am pleased about the amount of help being offered for those of us on low incomes - and almost everyone will get the £400 energy rebate so there is something there for the vast majority of people. Its been suggested that those who don't need the £400 could donate it to charity - I assume everyone gets it because means testing energy bills would be too complicated given there are a number of providers.

I'm glad that poor people will be getting some help, but look at it this way:
The government are using taxpayers money (ours) to pay the inflated prices charged by energy suppliers. Most of the government ministers will have shareholdings in the privatised energy firms, so it's a neat way of siphoning our taxes straight into their back pockets.
Oh yes, and it might distract us from all the ghastly misdemeanours this mob of thugs and thieves is responsible for.

Windfall taxes are a great idea this time but I doubt they can be replicated every year without repercussions to investors some of which might well be pension funds

The windfall tax is on excessive profits; dividends will have already been accounted for and, as I said in my previous post, the energy companies will get it back anyway by way of the money the government is giving to households. So I wouldn't worry about pension funds.

Cutting green investment is such a shortsighted measure. We need to be working to drastically cut our dependence on fossil fuels and that means serious investment in alternative energy sources. The money can be there if there is the political will to do it. We have a sovereign currency which is issued by the government. It cannot run out of money and it doesn't need to increase taxation to compensate.

This present crisis in energy, food supply and the rest is worldwide and obviously not the fault of the government.

But some countries have governments who can minimise the effects of it. But not ours. Somebody posted a good article about this yesterday. Using the excuse that its all over the world and we should be grateful for what we have is the kind of thing our mothers used to say. Eat your tea - there's children starving in Biafra.

Didn't work on me then, doesn't work on me now.

I personally see a clear link to the announcement by Offcom re the horrendous increase in energy prices which has forced the government to act. Windfall taxes are a great idea this time but I doubt they can be replicated every year without repercussions to investors some of which might well be pension funds, plus of course reduced investment in green energy solutions which impact us all. This present crisis in energy, food supply and the rest is worldwide and obviously not the fault of the government. The poorest countries will feel it most. While we in this country may well struggle, in many third world countries their citizens, our fellow human beings, will DIE. This, together with the sufferings of Ukraine and the threat posed by Russia to European democracies puts it all into perspective for me despite the inadequacies of this government.

Timed to deflect from the parties debacle, and after considerable pressure from various quarters to do something, anything, to try to appease the public who are becoming increasingly skint, and increasingly disillusioned with BJ's style of government. Oh, and now he's rewritten the Ministerial code of conduct to remove the need for disgraced members of the government to resign! Covering his own ample arse.

Grantanow

Sunak's measures are welcome even though he has stolen Labour's idea about the windfall tax and even though they may add to inflation later but Johnson is still appalling and should go or be pushed though whether Tory MPs have the guts to do so is open to question. They are too self-interested to act in the public interest.

Sunak's measures aren't going to do anything about inflation now. Which is what the government should be addressing.

As I see it they are going to add to inflation as higher fuel prices hit businesses, transport, farming. In fact every fuel user that isn't covered by the household scheme. A great many people don't have enough money to cover increased fuel costs, so having a £400 top up for energy payments isn't going to make them any better able to afford more expensive food and transport costs.

What is even more annoying is that the 'windfall tax' will only take from the energy companies about half of what Sunak proposes to hand them by way of the £400 to all households. So taking with one hand and then giving it all back to them... Energy companies will still be making excess profits; which will go to share buy backs and increased dividends to shareholders. Public money disappearing into the hands of the rich again...

Increasing interest rates is just another inflationary measure, even though it is claimed to be to reduce inflation. This is because, for some incomprehensible reason, the BoE Monetary committee are raising interest rates to dampen demand. Which would be logical if this inflation is demand led (i.e. too much money chasing to few goods). But it isn't, it is cost led,prices are going up because the cost of production is increasing. Which would be better dealt with by price controls and more money put into the economy.. not by taking money out. The BoE folks are supposed to have a grasp of economics, aren't they?

somerset10

No Volver, I'm not happy to be governed by law breakers, BUT is now the right time to change the Government with everything that is going on ?

When would be a better time? This government is not functioning, it is lurching from crisis to crisis - with everything that is going on.

somerset10, I do feel for you. In my old house I used to order 600L per month October to April, for the central heating and Aga. At least you will be in credit with your electricity.

somerset10

No Volver, I'm not happy to be governed by law breakers, BUT is now the right time to change the Government with everything that is going on ?

Yes. Now is the time.

Is now the right time to stick with a law-breaking, selfish bunch of ignorant wastrels, with everything that's going on?

Or would you rather have a government who have an ounce of integrity and the ability to govern for the good of the people?

Sunak's measures are welcome even though he has stolen Labour's idea about the windfall tax and even though they may add to inflation later but Johnson is still appalling and should go or be pushed though whether Tory MPs have the guts to do so is open to question. They are too self-interested to act in the public interest.

No Volver, I'm not happy to be governed by law breakers, BUT is now the right time to change the Government with everything that is going on ?

If the £400 energy grant is paid directly to peoples energy accounts (only gas and electricity are mentioned) where does that leave rural communities who have to rely on oil heaters (no gas supply) and have to pay in full before the oil is delivered ?

We will have to do the best we can because BJ isn’t likely to be going anywhere soon, it’s only his own party that can depose him and there is no widespread move to do that.

That's not quite true. As I understand it, if the Privileges Committee find that he knowingly misled Parliament, it could suspend him for 30 days, which would have enabled his constituency to call for a by election.

It is, of course, rather doubtful that the PC will do that, but one can live in hope...

he will probably muddle ^through to the next election.

There is absolutely no guarantee that there will be a 'next election'. The Fixed Term Parliament Act has been repealed so date of next election is in the hands of the PM. So long as he keeps his majority of noddies he could quite easily defer another GE for years. Any legislation that might prevent that can be repealed...

Even if there were to be one, so far we have redrawn electoral boundaries (favouring the tories), voter ID - a way to voter suppression, draconian sentences for protestors (put all his political opponents in prison,where they can't vote..,) political control of the Electoral Commission...

And of course, there are plenty of opportunities to rig postal voting. Which, strangely enough as it is the one practice wide open to cheating, he hasn't touched...

I could never be described as a Tory voter or supporter But I could live with a Tory PM that was an honourable person, that wasn't out for all he could get, and who hadn't managed to convince the masses that all the politicians are the same as him.

I think that the majority of Tory MPs have decided that they can’t win the next election with Johnson.

The decision they have to make is when to get shot of him.

I reckon before the summer recess, then they will have time to sort out a new leader.