Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf has ridiculed Andy Burnham’s first major cost-of-living announcement, warning that it will save the average household less than the price of a bunch of celery each week.
The new Prime Minister has announced that the existing 5% VAT charge will be removed from domestic electricity bills from 1st October. The government says the measure will reduce the average household’s annual bill by around £45.
But Yusuf argued that the saving offered to struggling households was negligible after years of rising taxes, bills and pressure on public services.
“Here’s the problem”, he said. “By the government’s own figures, that’s going to save the average British family 82 pence a week - just enough to buy this celery.”
Yusuf contrasted the announcement with the amount successive governments have wasted on foreign aid, pointing out that Conservative and Labour administrations had sent hundreds of billions of pounds abroad over the past two decades.
“Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, Tory and Labour governments have sent £278 billion of your money abroad in foreign aid - for contraceptives in Kenya, sex education in Pakistan and a road to nowhere in Guyana”, he said.
Burnham has also signalled his desire to increase Britain’s international aid spending, despite the pressure facing households and public services at home.
“Despite crushing you with higher taxes and crumbling public services, Andy Burnham has incredibly just promised to increase foreign aid spending”, Yusuf said.
“Which puts Burnham’s big cost-of-living gesture for you, the British people, into perspective, doesn’t it?”
“Anyway”, Yusuf concluded, “enjoy the celery.”
The new Prime Minister has announced that the existing 5% VAT charge will be removed from domestic electricity bills from 1st October. The government says the measure will reduce the average household’s annual bill by around £45.
But Yusuf argued that the saving offered to struggling households was negligible after years of rising taxes, bills and pressure on public services.
“Here’s the problem”, he said. “By the government’s own figures, that’s going to save the average British family 82 pence a week - just enough to buy this celery.”
Yusuf contrasted the announcement with the amount successive governments have wasted on foreign aid, pointing out that Conservative and Labour administrations had sent hundreds of billions of pounds abroad over the past two decades.
“Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, Tory and Labour governments have sent £278 billion of your money abroad in foreign aid - for contraceptives in Kenya, sex education in Pakistan and a road to nowhere in Guyana”, he said.
Burnham has also signalled his desire to increase Britain’s international aid spending, despite the pressure facing households and public services at home.
“Despite crushing you with higher taxes and crumbling public services, Andy Burnham has incredibly just promised to increase foreign aid spending”, Yusuf said.
“Which puts Burnham’s big cost-of-living gesture for you, the British people, into perspective, doesn’t it?”
“Anyway”, Yusuf concluded, “enjoy the celery.”
