the times | Tuesday May 24 2022 2GM 7News
Rishi Sunak is considering imposing a
windfall tax on electricity companies as
well as oil and gas suppliers, it was
reported last night.
Boris Johnson reiterated yesterday
that “no option is off the table” as he
and the chancellor faced growing pres-
sure to redirect the excess profits of
energy companies to help households
deal with the rising cost of living.
In addition to a windfall levy on oil
and gas companies, Sunak is consider-
ing extra taxes on the profits of electri-
city generators, including wind farms,
the Financial Times said.
The newspaper quoted a govern-
ment source saying that oil and gas
were “only half the picture”, with high
energy prices raising profits for all elec-
tricity generation. Imposing the extra
tax on companies such as SSE, Scot-
tishPower, EDF Energy and RWE
could bring more funds to the Treasury.
Spain’s government introduced an
excess profit levy on electricity compa-
nies last year but scaled back the plan
after being told it would hamper invest-
ment in wind farms.
The report came after Sunak’s depu-
ty said the £20 a week universal credit
uplift “is not going to return” to help
Britons with rising bills.
Simon Clarke, chief secretary to the
Treasury, ruled out reinstating the
increase after it was scrapped in Octo-
ber. He hinted, however, that a further
change to the taper rate could be an
“authentic Conservative solution”.
Clarke said it had been clear that the
increase was intended to help only
during the pandemic.
“That is not going to return,” he told
Toda y on BBC Radio 4. “The question isEco protest curbs are worse
than Putin’s laws, Patel told
Matt Dathan Home Affairs EditorPriti Patel’s measures to constrain
eco protesters are worse than President
Putin’s ban on people assembling in
public, a Labour MP claimed yesterday.
MPs debated plans to create three
offences that could lead to environ-
mental protesters being jailed for up to
a year if they lock themselves to gates,
glue themselves to roads or block oil de-
pots. The Public Order Bill also propos-
es giving police the power to stop and
search protesters without any grounds
for suspicion.
Andy McDonald, Labour MP for
Middlesbrough, said that the home sec-
retary should be “embarrassed and un-
comfortable” that the measures “go fur-
ther than [Putin’s] laws on assembly”.
As MPs debated the bill at second
reading last night, Patel dismissed the
comparison, replying: “I think, first of
all, to equate the actions of the Russian
state in suppressing the views of actual-
ly the brave Russian citizens who speak
to oppose Putin’s brutal war with ourproportionate updating of the long-
established legal framework for polic-
ing protests is just wrong, if I may say so,
and misguided. That is not the case.
“These measures are not about
clamping down on free speech. Let me
just be very clear about that. But to pro-
tect the public from serious disruption
of their daily lives caused by harmful
protests.”
Patel added that the country could
not make policy “through mob rule”.
A body representing the offshore
energy industry has said that environ-
mental activists could undermine the
country’s energy security and hinder its
efforts to reach net zero. Protests, legal
action and publicity stunts by organisa-
tions including Extinction Rebellion,
Just Stop Oil and Greenpeace may de-
ter investment in the North Sea and set
back efforts to cut emissions, according
to Offshore Energies UK.
Last night Labour’s attempt to block
the Public Order Bill was defeated
when MPs rejected the amendment by
292 votes to 200.s c ap e go at s
who told them that they’d be looked
after. The guys have all done fine. But it
is the women who have been allowed to
take the fall.”
The source added that there was
particular concern about emails sent by
Gray’s team last Thursday notifying
them that messages they had sent in
connection with the organising of par-
ties were to be published as part of her
report.
“They feel they have been triply
duped. Firstly into organising the par-
ties, then for co-operating with the in-
quiry and police investigation and now
they look like they are going to be iden-
tified with all the implications that has
for their careers. There is a strong
feeling that they have been badly let
down.”
Sources close to Gray said she felt
that she had been put in an invidious
position. They said that when she con-
ducted her investigation the police had
made clear they were not going to carry
out an inquiry.
However, when the police changed
their position she had no choice, they
said, but to hand over the evidence that
she had gathered.Police preparing for summer
of disorder over living costs
Fiona Hamilton Crime EditorPolice forces have begun planning for
disorder over the summer amid fears
that the cost-of-living crisis and other
pressures could result in civil unrest.
Chief constables and policing organi-
sations had been sharing intelligence
about potential disorder, a senior
source said, and have been assessing
mutual aid, the process by which forces
share officers to bolster their numbers
during major incidents.
The policing source said there was no
“specific intelligence” about disorder
but that it was increasingly being spo-
ken of given the economic picture.
“It’s already going to be a busy sum-
mer with the platinum jubilee and
Commonwealth Games, plus the nor-
mal sporting events and festivals.
“The growing frustration with [the]
cost of living, availability of some food-
stuffs and the economy tank-
ing... when that starts to hit people in
the pocket, that frustration grows. We
know historically that where the eco-nomy suffers, acquisitive crime goes up
and there is more potential for unrest.”
Last week as inflation reached nine
per cent Martin Lewis, who founded
the Money Saving Expert website, said
that he was concerned about riots.
He told Robert Peston’s ITV show:
“The government needs to get a handle
on it, and they need to get a handle on
it quickly, they need to listen, and they
need to stop people making choices of
whether they feed themselves or feed
their children.
“And we are in that now. We used to
have a relative poverty condition in this
country and we are moving to absolute
poverty, and we cannot allow that to
happen.”
The policing source said that it was
also expected that environmental pro-
testers such as Insulate Britain would
increase their presence and activities
during the warmer months.
“It’s also the first full summer with no
coronavirus restrictions. Things will be
very busy and certainly police are
braced for frustrations tipping over.”News
suggested she abandon report
Sunak considering
wider windfall tax
on electricity firms
Geraldine Scott Political Reporter
Henry Zeffman
Associate Political Editorhow we best now look at the next range
of solutions to deal with the challenges
we’re facing.”
He said that cutting the taper rate —
the amount of universal credit that is
withdrawn for every pound that claim-
ants earn through work — from 63p to
55p in December amounted to “a tax
cut worth an average of £1,000 to two
million of the lowest earners in society”.
The Times reported last week that
No 10 was resisting pressure for a wind-
fall tax on fuel companies because it
was “ideologically unconservative”.
The prime minister said yesterday
that while he was “not attracted” to the
idea of introducing new taxes, “no
option is off the table”.
Johnson said that there was “more
that we are going to do” for those who
needed help but people would have to
“wait a little bit longer”.
Asked whether the government
would perform a U-turn and impose a
windfall tax, he said: “I’m not attracted,
intrinsically, to new taxes. But as I have
said throughout, we have got to do what
we can, and we will, to look after people
through the aftershocks of Covid.”
Jesse Norman, a Conservative MP
and former Treasury minister, urged
colleagues to remember that former
Tory leaders sanctioned windfall taxes.
He told Toda y: “Even Mrs Thatcher
passed a couple of windfall taxes early
on in her time in office, in her more
pragmatic, less ideological phase.”
Geoffrey Howe, as chancellor under
Thatcher, twice imposed windfall tax-
es, once on banks.Boris Johnson raises a
glass and addresses
staff at the No 10 event
during lockdown in 2020.
His red box was on the
chair besides crisps, empty
wine glasses, bottles of
wine and hand sanitiserITV NEWSstories of our times
From cow to cup: what the price of a
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