PM to reassure British families he will support them “whatever challenge lies ahead” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East
Keir Starmer will on Monday stage a major intervention to reassure British families that he will support them “whatever challenge lies ahead” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The PM will promise that his top priority is to help working people with “the cost of living through this crisis” as fears grow of spiralling energy bills.
In a press conference in Downing Street, he will announce plans worth tens of millions of pounds to support people using heating oil to warm their homes. He will also raise concerns about claims of suppliers cancelling orders and jacking up prices.
In a searing warning, Mr Starmer will say: “I will not tolerate companies trying to exploit this crisis to make money from working people… If the companies have broken the law, there will be legal action.”
READ MORE: Major update on fuel duty hike as fresh energy bills package unveiled
He will add: “It’s moments like this that tell you what a government is about. My answer is clear. Whatever challenges lie ahead, this government will always support working people. That is my first instinct – my first priority – to help you with the cost of living through this crisis.”
Mr Starmer will also vow to continue working towards a “swift resolution” to the situation, adding: “Because there is no question that ending the war is the quickest way to reduce the cost of living.”
Targeted support for households who rely on heating oil comes after MPs in rural areas warned their constituents living in fuel poverty are unable to heat their homes. The PM visited Northern Ireland last week, where around 60% of households use heating oil and have seen a sharp rise in prices since the start of the war.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the weekend confirmed she had “found the money” to support those who are not protected by the energy price cap.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on Sunday hinted ministers may consider scrapping a planned fuel duty hike in response to the rising energy prices.
Asked if plans to end the fuel duty freeze in September would be reversed because of spiking oil prices, the Cabinet minister said: “Let me answer that by saying this, which is, I’ll be candid with you, we don’t know how long this conflict is going to go on and therefore, with five months to go until September, we will have to see where we are, obviously.”
He added: “We will stand by the British people in this crisis, and we’ll do what it takes to do that.” Fuel duty, the 52.95p per litre tax on fuel paid at the pump, is due to rise for the first time in 16 years at the end of August.
Mr Miliband also set out an accelerated package of energy help on Sunday in response to the crisis.
As part of the measures, low cost solar panels that families can buy at supermarkets and put on balconies or other outdoor spaces will be made available in the UK for the first time. Ministers will work with the industry to get these onto the market as soon as possible.
The package will also see the next annual renewables auction be brought forward to July. The Government’s most recent auction round delivered the single biggest procurement of offshore wind that Europe has seen.
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Miliband promised to intervene if companies engage in unfair practices that would hit customers facing a rise in the price of home heating oil, which is not covered by Ofgem’s energy price cap.
Gas and electricity bills are covered by regulator Ofgem’s price cap which is fixed until June. But if the conflict continues and Iran maintains its stranglehold on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, then households could face dramatic hikes.