(Leeds West) (Lab):...Labour
first proposed a windfall tax on 9 January, more than four months
ago, and what was the first response from a Conservative
Minister? It was to insist that a windfall tax would be unfair
because Shell and
BP were “struggling”. North sea oil and gas producers are making
£32 million a day in unexpected profits. Meanwhile, parents
trying to pay their bills are going without food so that their
children do not miss meals—that is struggling. We now know that
each and every day the Conservatives delay introducing a windfall
tax, families and pensioners are forking out £53 million more in
their energy bills...
(Nottingham East)
(Lab): Does my hon. Friend agree that given that wages have
been falling for the last 14 years and inflation is now at 9%, or
11% for the poorest families, there is an alternative to people’s
wages being squeezed—that the Government could squeeze profits
instead? Shell and
BP raked in more than £12 billion in the first three months of
this year alone, and it is shameful that every Conservative
Member voted against a windfall tax yesterday when they had the
chance to support it...
(Bolton South East)
(Lab):...There is, however, another option—a real plan to fix the
cost of living crisis. In the first three months of this
year, Shell made
£5 billion in profit and BP £7 billion. Those profits have been
made through the charges paid by us, the consumers. The Labour
party has constantly pushed for a windfall tax on oil and gas
companies—calls that have so far fallen on deaf ears—to fund a
real support package for working families, rather than the £150,
which is a loan that people will have to repay...
