Keir Starmer has taken on the task of Boris Johnson to counter the growing call for a tax on windfall income in the first questions of the Prime Minister of the new parliamentary session.
The Labor leader has repeatedly asked Johnson why the government is committing a “murder” with a one-time tax on energy companies to ease the pressure of the cost of living crisis for families.
Starmer told the House of Commons, “Every day he postpones his inevitable reversal, he decides to let people fight when they don’t need to.”
Reports indicate a tax on windfall income “Wildly popular” with the public, according to an internal government poll.
Yesterday, Labor amended the speech of the Queen, who supports the tax on unexpected income, but MPs rejected the move by 310 votes to 248.
At a briefing in the lobby today afternoon, the prime minister’s spokesman reaffirmed the government’s plans to oppose calls for an unexpected income tax, realizing that oil and gas companies are “going further” in investing in industries such as renewable energy.
Number 10 declined to specify whether the government has set financial targets for energy firms regarding investment.
While Johnson suggested that the public would receive more economic support, Starmer called the statements “we’ve heard it all before” on the issue. The Labor leader pointed to the chair of Tescos and the current head of BP as people who said they would not oppose the tax on windfall profits.
The Prime Minister claimed that Labor has a “desire” to raise taxes on business. However, he did not rule out a tax on excess profits.
