'The Conservatives have lost all credibility' - Sunderland MPs slam new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt after latest Government u-turns

North East MPs have heaped more pressure on the Government following its latest series of u-turns.
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New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced sweeping changes to key policies previously unveiled by struggling Prime Minister Liz Truss, including proposals to cut income tax and cancelling a planned one-year freeze on alcohol duty rates.

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But despite confirmation energy bill support for households will last until April 2023, the region’s Labour MPs have continued calls for the current administration to go.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made an emergency statement from the Treasury, in London, to confirm u-turns on several key Government policies.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made an emergency statement from the Treasury, in London, to confirm u-turns on several key Government policies.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made an emergency statement from the Treasury, in London, to confirm u-turns on several key Government policies.
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Washington and Sunderland West MP Sharon Hodgson said: “Today's announcement from the Chancellor shows that the Conservatives have lost all credibility.

"He said growth requires ‘confidence and stability’, which is rich given he is the fourth Chancellor in as many months.

"It is clear the Tories can’t provide this. There will continue to be a huge cost to families because of them - only Labour can deliver real change.”

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West.Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West.
Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West.
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The same sentiment was echoed by Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott, who added: “Jeremy Hunt’s budget U-turn today shows yet again why we can’t trust the Conservatives with our economy.

“Whilst the Government argues between themselves, the financial crisis made in Downing Street will continue hurting working families.

“The Labour party has plan for this crisis backed by business, and only Labour has the ideas to get Britain out of this mess.”

Speaking on Monday (October 17), Mr Hunt said the Government would row back on “almost all the tax measures announced in the growth plan three weeks”.

Sunderland Central MPJulie ElliottSunderland Central MPJulie Elliott
Sunderland Central MPJulie Elliott
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Government departments have also been told to cut costs by the new Chancellor – appointed on Friday (October 14) to replace Kwasi Kwarteng – who has been labelled the ‘de facto Prime Minister' by Easington MP Grahame Morris.

He said: “We need a General Election to restore the credible governance required to stabilise the economy.

"How much damage will Conservative MPs inflict upon the public before they put the national interest first and call an election?”

The latest set of spending plans have also been criticised for doing little to reassure families already struggling to make ends meet heading into the winter.

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Anna Turley, chairman of the North East Child Poverty Commission and a former Labour MP, said: “Hundreds of thousands of low income families across our region – most of whom are either in low paid work or unable to work – still do not have the certainty that the vital support they receive through social security will rise in line with prices.

"And now they face the instability of yet another hike in their energy bills from April, on top of the astronomical increases in household costs we’ve seen over the last year.

“The Chancellor must begin to put this right by urgently confirming he will raise benefits like Universal Credit by inflation, otherwise hundreds of thousands of North East families face being cut completely adrift.

"It is just unimaginable that children and young people in the North East – which already has the highest rate of child poverty in the country – could be left to pay the price of the Government’s economic incompetence.”