PMQs Live – 18/05 – ‘Labour is for the working people’ & Govt will do a U-turn on windfall tax – Starmer
Starmer says Johnson cannot make his mind up. The chairs of Tesco, John Lewis, and the education committee are among those in favour. Who is against it? Jacob Rees-Mogg, going round putting notes on people’s desks “like some overgrown perfect”.
PM says oil companies are already taxed at 40%. The UK needs investment. People are paying high energy prices because Labour did not invest in nuclear. Unemployment is at its lowest level for 50 years, he says.
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Stamer says the govt continues to do nothing and people cannot afford to wait.
PM says govt is getting more people into work and that is how to fix the long-term problems with the economy. He says Labour wants to borrow another £30bn which would put more pressure on people with interest rates.
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Govt will do a U-turn on windfall tax – Starmer
Starmer says PM does not understand what people are going through. Every day energy companies are raking in £32m in unexpected profits. He says the PM is delaying the “inevitable U-turn” and making life harder for people.
The PM says the govt is already spending £22bn on helping people. It can do this because it took the tough decisions to get people out of lockdown. And taxes are being cut in July, he adds.
He says he will look at all measures to support people.
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Starmer says last week Johnson said he would look at the windfall tax. Last night the Tories voted against it. The papers say they are for it. And Johnson now says he is against it. They rule it in, and then rule it out. When will he stop the hokey cokey and back a windfall tax.
PM says Labour always wants to raise taxes for business. In 2019 Starmer backed a manifesto that would have raised business taxes to their highest levels ever. He says they always knew there would be a short-term cost to imposing sanctions on Russia. But giving in would be the greater economic risk.
He says of course the government will look at all the measures needed to get people through to the other side. – (Guardian)
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Keir Starmer says a windfall tax would raise billions of pounds to help people with energy bills. Is the PM for it, against it, or is he sitting on the fence like his chancellor.
PM says Starmer could not even define what a woman is. “Heaven help us.” He says Labour love putting up taxes. He wants to “take a sensible approach, governed by the impact on investment and jobs”. He wants to have a strong economy. Unemployment is at its lowest level since 1974, when he was 10 years old. – (Guardian)
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Steve McCabe asks what the government is doing to stop people from dying of cold in their homes next winter.
PM says the government has spent £9bn on a package to help people with heating.
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Boris Johnson starts by giving his best wishes to Rangers in tonight’s match in Seville.
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