No new measure to help with cost of living after crisis talks between Boris Johnson and energy bosses | Political news

Boris Johnson has doubled down on his insistence that his successor “make key financial decisions” after crisis talks with energy bosses end without new measures. to help tackle skyrocketing household bills.

Speaking after the meeting, the Prime Minister said he would continue to urge the energy sector to ease the cost-of-living pressures facing struggling families.

But he repeated his stance that it was for his successor in Number 10, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, “to make the key financial decisions,” a Treasury spokesman said. .

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Mr Johnson has come under pressure to use the rest of his time in office to introduce a new package of measures after a grim new forecast predicted energy bills could reach £4,200 in January.

He has been accused of being “missing” and running a “zombie government” as the country was in recession.

On Monday, he turned down calls from Gordon Brown to hold daily emergency COBRA meetings to keep people “cold and hungry” this October, when the cap on energy prices goes up.

The former Labor prime minister said new backing could not wait until a new Prime Minister was chosen on September 5.

However, a spokesman for Mr Johnson said it was “conventional for the prime minister not to make major financial interventions during this period”.

In a tweet after today’s meeting, Mr Johnson said he knew people were worried about “difficult winter ahead”.

He said there was already a package of support, which included a £400 discount for all households.

Prime Minister Nadhim Zahawi and energy companies have agreed to “close cooperation” in the coming weeks to ensure that the public, including vulnerable customers, is supported, the finance ministry said. when costs increase.

However, there was no immediate announcement of any new measures to help consumers.

The roundtable comes as Labor prepares to announce its own package of measures to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer will visit Edinburgh tomorrow, where he is expected to talk about some elements of the party’s proposals to help those with rising energy bills, Sky News understands. A full announcement is expected next week.

Labor has faced criticism for attacking Boris Johnson for going on holiday amid the worsening economic crisis last week, although Sir Keir is also away.

Gordon Brown ‘doesn’t lead Labour’s policy’

Earlier on Sky News, a Labor commentator denied Gordon Brown was spearheading party policy in Sir Keir’s absence after he called for energy companies to be temporarily nationalized, during the intervention. his third big this week.

Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said Labor would put forward a package of proposals “in the next few days”.

Asked if Gordon Brown would “lead the Labor party”, he said: “No, Labor will put together a package of proposals at full cost on how we are going to help the British people. Next week. is when we’re going to take that forward.”

Labor has called on ministers to remove what it calls a “gap” in the wind tax on oil and gas profits.

In May, the government announced that it would impose a tax on “extraordinary profits” of the oil and gas sector. This includes a tax break that the government says is intended to encourage investment.

But Mr Reed said they did nothing as he called on the government to come up with solutions to the current cost of living crisis rather than watch the Tory leadership candidates “fight like rats in a sack”. .

Earlier this week, the leader of the Lib Dem, Ed Davey, called for the removal of the energy price ceiling increase this October and for the costs to be offset through a wind tax.

And today, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also came under pressure as she said the increase in the energy price ceiling should not continue and accused the British Government of “lack of action” on the matter.