In a statement written on 28 August, the soon-to-be former Prime Minister Boris Johnsonblamed Vladimir Putin for the ‘eye-watering’ bills Brits are facing as the cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen.
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A blame game
According to Sky News, Johnson took to The Mailon Sunday to put some of his thoughts down on paper. He wrote:
It was Putin's invasion of Ukraine that spooked the energy markets. It is Putin's war that is costing British consumers. That is why your energy bill is doubling.
The British politician stated that the Russian President is counting on ‘soft’ European countries to lift sanctions on Russia and that 'he likes it. And he wants us to buckle'. He also reinforced that he stands by Ukraine, insisting that Russia is weakening under continued world pressure.
Johnson reassured Brits that despite all the current hardship, he is confident that the future is of the UK ‘will be golden’. He stated:
Britain will emerge stronger and more prosperous the other side.
False hopes?
As the saying goes, however, all that glitters isn’t gold. Despite Johnson’s optimistic writings about the UK’s future, many Brits remain gloomy about the reality of their rising costs.
Many people have been quick to criticise the conservative party’slack of urgency towards addressing inflation, especially followingOfgem’s announcement that from 1 October, the energy price cap will nearly double.
In response to Johnson’s buoyant attempt to keep the faith in Britain’s financial future, Pat McFadden, a Labour shadow minister, told Sky News:
[It] shows how little he understands the shockwave that was sent through households around the country by Ofgem's announcement on Friday.
With a new Tory takeover just around the corner, it remains unclear exactly what assistance Brits can expect to help pay their bills. While Johnson has claimed that a ‘huge package of financial support’ is on the way, conservative leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, won’t spill the beans on her plans until and unless she is officially elected.
So, buckle your seatbelts for a potentially rough winter – Britain won’t buckle, much to Putin's disappointment.
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