The SNP has challenged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to honour Labour's manifesto commitment to reduce household energy bills by £300, pointing out that current measures fall short by £105.
In a policy blitz since taking office, the Labour government has highlighted that cutting VAT on electricity bills will save around £45 per year from the October Ofgem price cap, on top of the £150 already removed at the last Budget. Together, these reductions total £195, leaving a £105 gap from the promised £300.
Labour's manifesto pledge and current shortfall
Labour's original promise, made under former leader Sir Keir Starmer, was to help families save up to £300 on their energy bills by 2030. Starmer had stated, "I stand by everything in our manifesto and one of the things I made clear in the election campaign is I wouldn't make a single promise or commitment that I didn't think we could deliver in government."
Burnham has committed to sticking by the manifesto, placing him under pressure to deliver the full £300 reduction. The SNP's Westminster leader, Dave Doogan, said the "first test of Burnham's listening skills" will be meeting that commitment.
SNP criticism and call to action
Doogan said: "If Andy Burnham is actually serious about listening, he should start by living up to all the promises the Labour Party made to the public – and then rapidly broke – to get themselves into Downing Street." He called the failure to cut energy bills by £300 Labour's "biggest broken promise of all."
He added: "Concerns about heatwaves will soon turn to heating bills – the first test of Burnham's listening skills will be to put right Keir Starmer's broken promise to cut energy bills. People in Scotland don't want to hear any more empty promises about 'hope in their hearts' – they want money in their pockets. A listening tour for TikTok content won't pay the bills, putting proper money in people's pockets will."
Doogan also noted that the Bank of England warned early in the month that prices are set to rise again, energy bills will hit even harder, and the public finances of Brexit Britain are broken. He urged Burnham to "listen to those economic sirens that are ringing louder by the day and act to protect families ahead of this autumn and winter."
