RISHI Sunak today promised to bung a “few hundred pounds more” to squeezed Brits this winter to help with crippling energy bill rises as he clashed with Liz Truss on the cost of living.
The former Chancellor trashed his leadership rival’s flagship tax cuts plan – provoking her to fire back that he was the voice of “doom”.
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On a trip to Darlington deep in Red Wall heartlands, Mr Sunak pledged to cushion the steep price hikes set to smack families later this year if he becomes PM.
Bills are forecast to jump to £3,582 in October before soaring to £4,266 in January, according to top analysts Cornwall Insight.
The former Chancellor told ITV News: “It looks like in general, the increase in bills is a few hundreds pounds more.
“It’s hard to be precise as we don’t know yet, but what people can see is that’s what I did before.”
Asked directly if this would see Brits handed an extra few hundreds pounds, Mr Sunak replied “yes” and singled out low-income households and pensioners.
All Brits are already set to receive £400 off their bills in October as part of the package he designed as Chancellor.
Poorer households are also getting a one-off £650 payment and hard-up pensioners an extra £300 this winter.
Leadership opponent Truss today said she would “deal with the circumstances as they arise” but stopped short of pledging a firm commitment of extra cash help.
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Last week she insisted she would prioritise cutting taxes rather than offering “handouts”, but has since softened her position and opened the door to cash payments.
Speaking in Huddersfield this morning she said: “What I don’t believe in is taxing people to the highest level in 70 years and then giving them their own money back. We are Conservatives. We believe in low taxes.
“Of course we will need to deal with the circumstances as they arise. My fundamental principle is that people should keep more of their own money.
“We will see what the situation is like in the autumn, but I am committed to making sure people are supported and I am committed to growing the economy.”
Ms Truss is pledging to scrap the National Insurance rises and wipe green levies of energy bills to save people money.
Mr Sunak says this will “barely touch the sides”, while his ally Dominic Raab blasted her plans as an “electoral suicide note”.
The wannabe PMs are expected to tear lumps out of each other once again tonight as they do battle at the next hustings in Darlington.
Ahead of the TV showdown, Ms Truss fired back that Rishi’s campaign was scaremongering with the “portents of doom”.
She said: “I don’t agree with these portents of doom. I don’t agree with this declinist talk, I believe our country’s best days are ahead of us.”
Her big beast backer Ben Wallace piled in: “I’d say a gentle warning to Rishi’s camp that blue-on-blue is not going to help the Conservative Party win the next election.
“We have to maintain our brand. I think those type of attacks are unnecessary and, actually, I think say more about that team than it does about Liz Truss.”
