Paul Johnson

I mean, it's going to increase is because we've got I mean, the reason our energy prices are among the highest in the world is not really to do with geopolitical problems to do with the UK government energy policy.

The reason our housing prices are so high is UK policy.

So I think the reason that incomes haven't grown for the last 20 years is not entirely down to what's gone in the world.

It's partly down to that.

It's down to failed policy in this country.

Well, I think if energy prices do go up a lot further and are remaining high over the winter, then yes, I think we need to help people with their energy costs specifically.

Although I have to say, not everybody, not like Liz Truss, tried to do with tens and tens of billions of pounds for you and me and Robert, but actually focused, as Rachel Rees has said she wants to, on people who really are on relatively low incomes or have, for reasons outside their control, maybe a very high income.

energy costs.

If governments continually, every time something goes wrong in the world, try to spend billions and billions supporting everybody, then, I mean, frankly, that way lies economic ruin for the country.

They have to be, first of all, have and keep to a long-term strategy that is good for all of us all of the time.

And then when things go wrong, be really very careful and targeted.

about what they're doing.

I mean, some of these policies are pretty gimmicky.

I mean, you're reducing VAT on theme parks, on children's meals.

I mean, for one thing, it's incredibly complicated to work out what is a children's meal and what isn't a child's meal.

a child's meal.

But these things aren't going to make a great deal of difference.

I'm glad that they've reduced tariffs or cut tariffs on a whole bunch of foodstuffs.

They made a big deal of this.

It's going to save the average household 10 pence a week.