Boris Johnson is asking his Cabinet to come up with ideas to help ease the cost-of-living crisis - but isn't willing to spend any money on them.
The Prime Minister wants to move on from the Partygate row - and inspire voters to vote for him at next week’s local elections - with proposals that won’t expand departments’ budgets.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves blasted the Prime Minister for “still just talking” weeks after a Spring Statement and a cost of living crisis, including Tory National Insurance hikes and a £693 energy bills rise.
Ministers today discussed some of the ideas that will be worked through at a ‘Domestic and economic strategy committee’, to be convened by Boris Johnson in the coming weeks.
It’s understood a flurry of ideas was put forward - not all of them realistic. But No10 was unable to say what those ideas were or when they’ll come to fruition.
It’s thought the committee could meet before the Queen’s Speech on May 10 - but might be too late to actually inspire any Bills.
And No10 emphasised there’s no new money now for the plans. Chancellor Rishi Sunak also emphasised the “importance of not feeding further inflation rises” at today’s Cabinet meeting.
All government departments have been asked to come up with ideas but Budgets are set and “there are no plans to go outside what has been agreed”, No10 said.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “There are set budgets for departments - we’re not going to get into the business of changing that.”
But the government is also “not going to comment on future fiscal events”, and is “keeping a careful eye on what may be needed in the future and always stepping in where necessary”, he added.
Here are some of the potential ideas that have come up in reports or hints from No10…
A childcare announcement
Insiders have made noises for some time about a potential announcement on childcare - and No10 dropped a big hint today.
Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on childcare: “The government recognises there is more to do, there is live policy work taking place and I’m sure we’ll have more to say in future.”
Currently, some working parents can get 30 hours a week of free childcare for kids aged three or four.
There has long been political debate about whether to expand this to two-year-olds or expand tax-free childcare.
Boris Johnson could also raise the legal cap on how many kids childminders can look after, according to reports.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson blasted: “Parents are having to work fewer hours or leave jobs because they cannot find or afford it… the government's solution is to drive down quality whilst making no difference to availability.”
MOTs every two years not one
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is thought to have raised the idea of doubling the time before motorists need a new MOT on their car, from one year to two.
That would save £54.85 for a standard car and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle every two years. That would save just £27.43 a year.
And Times Radio reported this saving could be undercut by a car becoming more inefficient if there are undiagnosed problems with the engine or wheels.
The PM's official spokesman said: “I’ve seen a few points raised or reported as to what may or may not have been discussed in Cabinet. I don’t intend to get into everything that’s been reported.
"I think it’s important this sort of policy work is able to be done properly before being set out.”
But he added: “We are considering every possible option to ensure people can keep more of their money.”
Cutting the cost of designer bags and iPhones
Ministers are considering plans to allow customers to buy branded products direct from foreign suppliers, The Sun reports.
This could mean people buy designer clothes, iPhones and Samsung tablets more cheaply.
Or red tape could be ripped up to make it easier for British sellers to get licences to sell those products in the UK.
Downing Street did not confirm or deny the idea, saying: “Yes there has been some speculation and I’m sure there will continue to be more”.
Cutting tariffs on non-UK food
Currently the UK charges import tariffs on goods not produced in Britain, such as rice - which varies but can be £121 per tonne.
According to The Sun, these import tariffs could be reduced.
“I’ve certainly seen that speculation”, said Boris Johnson’s spokesman. “There were a number of ideas raised at Cabinet - I’m not going to get into those because they are live policy discussions.”
Cutting tariffs on refined oil products
A source again told The Sun there could be a cut to tariffs on “refined oil products”. It was not immediately clear what these were.
But a Sky News presenter suggested to a minister it would be “pennies, not pounds”.
“There will be other levers government can pull and no one of them will be a golden bullet,” said minister James Heappey.
“But cumulatively if you can provide people with lots of small savings across their cost of living, that does start to make a difference.”
Will it be enough?
Campaigners will likely say no.
It comes just three weeks after families were slapped with higher energy bills, a national insurance rise and council tax increases.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak ’s Spring Statement was widely slammed for failing to do more to help struggling families.
Inflation is running at 6.2%, the energy price cap soared by £693 to £1,971 a year and national insurance climbed by 1.25%.
Experts believe the country is mired in the worst cost-of-living crisis for nearly half a century - and a Delta poll for the Mirror found that nearly two thirds of voters (62%) believe that the Government is responding badly to the cost of living crisis, including a third (33%) of Conservative supporters.
