of around £41m through “Barnett consequentials” - the additional money that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receives if new public expenditure is allocated in England., clothing, energy and water costs through local council grants, and this decision is designed to continue support through to the autumn. Where will the Scottish Government choose to spend its additional £41m? We might never know.
The UK Government’s response to the cost of energy crisis for domestic gas and electricity has been to give consumers a one-off £200 repayable discount to their energy bills from October 2022. This has to be repaid at £40 a year over five years from 2023. That is wholly inadequate. The UK Government should impose a new tax levy on the supernormal profits of energy companies to enable those in financial difficulty heat their homes at a more affordable cost.
The average cost for a litre of unleaded petrol is £1.79 however many motorists are being charged £2 on forecourts. The hike in the price of fuel is costing workers more to travel to and from work, pushing up the cost of transported goods we buy in the shops and reducing the income of self-employed taxi drivers.