Grotesque imbalance
Hard-pressed households are already having to cope with soaring energy bills.
Now they face a further strain on budgets as retailers including Greggs, Next and Pret a Manger warn of price increases.
It comes on top of diesel prices hitting a record high, with inflation forecast to top 7%.
Not everyone is struggling, though. Shell boss Ben van Beurden has netted £4million from a shares windfall after the company recorded record profits last week.
Meanwhile, families across the country are having to choose between heating and eating.
The Government could have ended the unfairness by levying a windfall tax on oil and gas giants and using the proceeds to cushion households from the cost of living crisis.
The fact they rejected this idea shows how little understanding they have of how tough life is for so many people at the moment.
Tories’ shame
When the pandemic hit, people across the nation rallied to support their friends, neighbours and communities.
That spirit of goodwill stands in stark contrast to the way some Tories behaved.
They saw this national emergency as the chance to make a quick buck.
A VIP lane was set up allowing ministers, MPs and peers to recommend firms for lucrative PPE contracts. Ministers have now admitted that £61million worth of kit secured through this route was not fit for use.
As well as squandering a fortune on dud PPE and wasting billions on the troubled NHS Test and Trace system, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has written off £4.3bn in fraudulent Covid claims.
Once again, the Conservatives have shown they cannot be trusted with public money – and we are paying the price with higher taxes.
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