Boris Johnson: No option is off the table to tackle cost of living
May 23, 2022, 3:18 pm

Boris Johnson: No option is off the table to tackle cost of living

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo: Official Facebook page)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that"no option is off the table" to tackle rising living costs as pressure grows to impose a windfall tax on oil and gas firms.

According to the BBC,the policy, as proposed by opposition parties, would see a one-off levy on company profits, with proceeds used to support hard-hit households facing surging bills.

The prime minister said he was "not attracted intrinsically to new taxes".

But he said the government was "going to put our arms round people" to help.

Mr Johnson told reporters: "There is more that we are going to do... you'll just have to wait a little bit longer."

Selection of vegetables in London market - Pixabay

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said part of the answer to tackling the cost of living was a windfall tax and it was "staring the prime minister in the face".

He said ministers needed to address the situation, adding: "Every day they dither and delay, more people are struggling, really struggling, with their bills."

Boris Johnson promises more to say on cost of living support in coming days

Earlier, the chief secretary to the Treasury, Simon Clarke, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was not "philosophically attracted" to a windfall tax, but he could not rule it out.

He insisted the government would be pragmatic, and added that it was "looking at the situation with real urgency and intent".

Asked if a windfall tax went against Conservative values, Mr Johnson said: "I don't like new taxes." He added: "No option is off the table, let's be absolutely clear about that. I'm not attracted, intrinsically, to new taxes.

British finance minister says he will help where possible with cost of living

"But as I have said throughout, we have got to do what we can - and we will - to look after people through the aftershocks of Covid, through the current pressures on energy prices that we are seeing post-Covid and with what's going on in Russia and we are going to put our arms round people, just as we did during the pandemic."

The PM pointed to support on offer already, including £9bn of funding targeted at energy bills, saying the government was providing a "continuing stream of effort to shield people".

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”