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Boris Johnson has rejected pleas to intervene on the cost of living crisis, refusing calls for an emergency budget, regular Cobra meetings and the recall of parliament.
Gordon Brown has warned that children will be forced to attend school “ill-clad and undernourished” if the government does not act now to support people through the inflation crisis.
But No 10 dismissed the former Labour prime minister’s demand for Cobra crisis meetings on the economy – saying it was up to “a future prime minister to decide whether or what measures are required”.
Asked if the PM could sit down with Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to discuss emergency measures, his official replied: “There are no plans for that to happen.”
Grilled further if chancellor Nadhim Zahawi was working on any plans to be ready for the next PM, he replied: “I’m not aware of the chancellor doing specific work.”
Mr Brown said Cobra, the government’s disaster emergency committee, should now be “in permanent session to deal with the coming fuel and energy crisis”.
Labour has attacked the “zombie” Tory government as Johnson arrived back at work on Monday from a holiday. He and his wife reportedly enjoyed “soothing energies” of a mountain villa in Slovenia.
Mr Brown said Cobra, the government’s disaster emergency committee, should now be “in permanent session to deal with the coming fuel and energy crisis”.
With a month to go before Johnson’s successor at No 10 is chosen, Mr Brown also said parliament should be recalled this month so MPs can discuss which measures ministers should take to help struggling families and businesses.
But the PM’s official spokesperson said there were no plans for the recall of parliament, or an emergency budget to ease living costs pressures.
The spokesperson added: “You’ll understand that by convention, it’s not for this Prime Minister to make major fiscal interventions during this period. It would be for a future prime minister.”
More follows…
