Keir Starmer’s windfall tax plan in bits after it falls short on scrutiny.

Niall Paterson of Sky News ripped apart Keir Starmer’s idea to impose a windfall tax on huge oil firms. On this subject, Sir Keir Starmer has urged voters to “send the Tories a message they cannot ignore” by voting Labour. 

But Paterson says: “You have said previously the windfall tax plan would all but eliminate the energy price rise for low-income families, pensioners and middle-income families. That might be true now but it won’t be true later on this year when we see another set of price rises.”

Sir Keir told Sky News: “It is a one-off tax. It is a windfall tax but it would deal with the immediate crisis and people waking up today are asking the question, it there a plan on the table to deal with the problem right now which is a rise in energy costs.

“They’re seeing nothing from the Government.

“The Government are saying you can have a loan starting in October of about £200 so a six-month wait.”

Mr Paterson butted in, saying: “I get that, my point is simply this.

“The windfall tax that you’re proposing will give a break of a few hundred pounds right now which frankly will be utterly wiped out by the price rise we’re all expecting come October.”

Keir then stated: “There are two answers to that. There’s got to be a wider, long-term strategy and that’s why we set out our energy strategy last week which included turbocharging renewables, fast-forwarding on nuclear power but importantly and significantly, a project to insulate homes and make them warmer.”