Chancellor warns of more cost-of-living pain because of Iran war but promises to be hands on to protect the public Daily Telegraph 01/08/26 John Healey, the Chancellor, has warned supermarkets that he will not allow them to take the public “for a ride” as a result of the Middle East crisis . Writing for The Telegraph , Mr Healey said he would be watching closely for “any suggestion” that customers are being ripped off, either when shopping for essential groceries or when filling up their car at the petrol pump. He promised to get tough on “price-gouging” at the pump or the till, cautioning that regulators “have the powers to clamp down on it if it happens”. The higher oil and petrol prices triggered by the Iran conflict threaten to undermine Andy Burnham’s pledge to give families and businesses “breathing room” after years of a cost-of-living crisis. Increased energy prices have a knock-on effect on the cost of transporting goods as well as the price of fertiliser for food prod...
‘Burnham premium’ predicted to increase average bill by £500 by 2030 Daily Telegraph 30/07/26 Labour is planning an £18bn tax raid on millions of families across England, it can be revealed. New figures, seen by The Telegraph, show that the national council tax take is set to increase by 43 per cent by 2030, netting £58.8bn. The rise would add another £500 to average council tax bills by the end of the decade, despite Andy Burnham’s pledge to make tackling the cost of living his number one priority. The Conservatives branded the tax raid – which would hit 25.6m homes in England – the “Burnham premium”, claiming it would increase bills “in every postcode” . Advertisement They claimed Mr Burnham’s plans to roll out fiscal devolution to mayors could push bills higher still. The Prime Minister is set to lay out his fiscal devolution plans, first revealed by The Telegraph , on Friday. Local authorities netted £41.2bn from council tax in 2024/2025, but a series of parliamentary quest...