Johnson ‘absolutely certain’ next PM will offer more help on paying bills
Boris Johnson has waded into the Tory leadership row over energy costs by declaring he is “absolutely certain” his successor will offer further help to households, as annual bills were forecast to top £4,200 by January.
Johnson made an unexpected intervention on energy bills at a No 10 reception, as Liz Truss, the frontrunner to be the next prime minister, was accused by Rishi Sunak’s campaign of being “divorced from reality” over her refusal to commit to more handouts.
Johnson has repeatedly refused to act on rocketing gas and electricity bills before leaving office on 5 September, but said he was sure the next prime minister “will be wanting to make some more announcements in September/October about what we’re going to do further to help people in the next period in December/January”.
He added: “I just want you to know that I’m absolutely confident that we will have the fiscal firepower and the headroom to continue to look after people as we’ve done throughout.”
The deepening row over how to help households came on the day annual energy bills were forecast to top £4,200 from January, triggering a warning that Britons face “serious hardship on a massive scale” without government intervention.
At the same time, government sources admitted officials had modelled the possibility of a four-day power shortage in the first quarter of next year, potentially requiring rolling blackouts for industry and households.
Johnson’s comments add further pressure on Truss to acknowledge that, as prime minister, she would need to give households more help beyond tax cuts.
As Truss doubled down on her plan for reversing the national insurance rise and removing £150 of green levies, a Sunak campaign spokesperson said her proposals “will not touch
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