Gordon Brown ‘I don’t expect to see poverty again’ as he warns people will be hungry and cold within the next few months | Political news

Gordon Brown has warned that people will be short of food and unable to heat their homes by October if the government does not take urgent action on the cost of living crisis.

Speaking to Sky News, the former Labor prime minister said he was seeing poverty in his hometown, Fife, “something I didn’t expect to see again in my life”, as he took aim at policies of the Conservative Party.

Mr Brown called the party’s levy “stupid”, claiming the opt-out options included in the levy introduced when Rishi Sunak was prime minister reduced the value of the levy from £15bn. down 5 billion pounds.

Political center: Gordon Brown closes the ‘gap’ in the heart of government – live updates

Asking for more government intervention, he laid out his own vision for dealing with the cost of living crisis, including changes to income taxes, limits on energy bills and reforms to the welfare system. .

But he has ruled out returning to his front-line politics, telling Sky News: “When you’re out, you’re out.”

Mr Brown said he was campaigning hard for the cost of living crisis because he was seeing poverty in his hometown, Fife, “something I didn’t expect to see again in my life”.

He said charities are Sequipped with comforters, sleeping bags, hot water bottles and blankets “because they know that people can no longer afford to heat their homes”.

Meanwhile, faith groups are “thinking of opening their church halls as heating centers so that retirees, instead of freezing to death at home, can have a warm place to go”.

“There’s no doubt people will be without food, and they’ll be hungry and cold in October if we don’t act now,” Mr Brown said.

He added: “If charities and community organizations are taking urgent action to do something, I think it’s time for government to react. The void at the heart of government really must end. stop.”

The ‘financial time bomb’ will explode in October – the latest cost of living

The comments come after former Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden attacked Mr Brown’s prime ministerial profile, claiming he left the country “with no money”.

He told Sky News: “I didn’t learn huge lessons from Gordon Brown, remember this is a man who gave us a 75p boost to retirees, so he doesn’t really have great track record of this sort of thing.”

However, Mr Brown hit back at the “completely false” accusations against him, when he highlighted the government’s lack of leadership amid the cost of living crisis, saying it “didn’t appear to be.” who will take responsibility”.

He said it was “ridiculous” that Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Nadhim Zahawi was on holiday when the Bank of England warned of a recessionwhile asserting Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss’ “obsession” about tax cuts won’t help those who are struggling to pay their bills.

When asked what he would do if he were in Downing Street right now, he said the first thing he would do is call an emergency COBRA meeting with leadership candidates.

He added: “I’m going to talk about changes in the Universal Credit system to give people the money they need. And I’m going to talk about limiting energy bills that are likely to happen and that’s going to happen. has the effect of reducing inflation, as well as, of course, helping those in greatest need.

“None of these things seem to be being discussed at the moment in the way they should be. And it’s really not good enough for leadership candidates to go around the country and say ‘I’ll have plans next month, next month.’ This is the crisis. It must be resolved now. “

Read more:
Call for urgent increase in General Credit
The bet to ‘instantly’ reverse the NI increase in the emergency budget

Ms Truss and Mr Sunak are under growing pressure to respond to the economic crisis after a report commissioned by Mr Brown was found. worse families up to £1,600 a year because of the cost of living crisis – even with government help taken into account.

Ms. Truss has vows to cut taxes immediately if she becomes prime ministerwhile Mr. Sunak said he would help families by eliminating VAT on energy bills.

However, poverty expert Professor Donald Hirsch, who wrote the report, says the package of measures the government has put in place does not meet the needs of low-income households – and action is needed. emergency action.