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Johnson is an ‘ostrich with his head in the sand,’ Labour slams

Sir Keir Starmer blasts PM over his government's inaction on the cost-of-living crisis

BORIS JOHNSON is an “ostrich with his head in the sand,” Sir Kier Starmer said today during discussions on the cost-of-living crisis at Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Labour leader blasted the Prime Minister for having his “fingerprints all over” tax rises in workers’ latest payslips and labelled the Tories the “party of excess oil and gas profits” due to their rejection of a windfall tax to cut energy bills.

Sir Keir told the Commons: “He’s an ostrich – perfectly happy keeping his head in the sand.

“Working people are worried about paying their bills, they’re spending less and cutting back – that’s bad for business and bad for growth.

“Working people are looking for help, but this week millions will look at their payslip and see a tax rise with his fingerprints all over it.

“Does he think his 15th tax rise has made things better or worse for working people?”

Mr Johnson replied: “What we’re doing for working people is not only lifting the living wage by a record amount, helping people on universal credit with a £1,000 tax cut, but also cutting National Insurance contributions [by] lifting the threshold so that, on average, people pay £330 less.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “It is clearer by the day that the Prime Minister’s supposed plan to fight the Tory-made cost-of-living crisis is not only non-fiscal, it’s non-existent.”

He called on the government to drop the rise in National Insurance contributions, reverse its cuts to universal credit and match Scotland’s 6 per cent benefits rise instead of imposing a real-terms cut.

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