The government u-turn on windfall tax levy to help people with their bills shows that they have no new ideas, says Northumberland Labour.

Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson said: “Because a windfall tax doesn’t fit with their ideology, they’ve had to be dragged kicking and screaming and even describe it as something different.

“What’s even worse they delayed the announcement which is an absolute lifeline for so many people until the day after the publication of the Sue Gray report, encouraging everyone to move on and forget about the shameful behaviour in Number 10. It’s pathetic.

“The cost of living is spiralling out of control and still the people at the top of government can only think of themselves.

“Just think what they could be doing; helping to insulate people’s homes to make them greener and cheaper to run, just for starters. There’s no long term plan to be seen, just a sticking plaster to cover a gaping wound; a wound that is hurting many families right across our county and the country.

“What sticks in the throat even more is the man on the the UK’s rich list giving with one hand and taking with the other; he’s given £37bn to support cost of living hikes and announced £35.4bn personal tax rises in the next two years.

“And of course we hear they can’t help everyone; well, they could if they chose to, but they’ve chosen not to at a time when the country has never seen so many billionaires.

“Labour’s plan is to grow the economy by getting more things made, bought and sold in Britain, investment in renewable energy and get rid of the outdated system of business rates to help bushiness survive and flourish.”