ONCE again, Europe is showing Britain it is possible to help people tackle the cost of living crisis and implementing measures to ease the financial burden people continue to face.

In France, for example, the government have capped energy prices at four per cent, whilst the Tory Government take no measures and allow energy prices to rise by 54 per cent. They have not stopped there: the French Government have also forced EDF, a French energy company, to take the brunt of the high wholesale energy prices instead of passing it on to consumers. Germany has also taken measures, providing a one-off €300 payment to help with the cost of living to everyone, and a further €100 for each child, whilst also cutting fuel tax by 30 cent on petrol.

The Spanish Government has also levied a windfall tax on energy companies, helping to ease the burden of high costs for consumers. The Irish Government has given households a €200 energy rebate, with those claiming fuel allowance receiving €125 on top of that.

I am astonished that the UK Government cannot and will not introduce similar measures to help people during this time of need. Yet Rishi Sunak believes the mere 5p reduction in fuel will make a significant difference – these stats show that it is possible to take more action, there are no excuses.

Instead, the Tory Government at Westminster have increased tax on working people and cut Universal Credit for low-income families. The SNP has called for a broad windfall tax, including energy companies, but Sunak has failed to deliver it or devolve the necessary powers to Holyrood.

It appears Sunak is too interested in his own wife’s tax affairs to care about the working people of the country, as a Whitehall inquiry is under way into how the details about his wife’s tax status was leaked to the media.

It’s once again a tale of two governments as the SNP continue to provide and tackle the cost of living crisis for low-income families, while Westminster leaves them to suffer.