Yahoo News ‘Zombie government’ has made cost of living crisis worse for millions, experts warn
A leading anti-fuel poverty campaign group has accused the Tories of abandoning vulnerable people to the cost of living crisis as they run a "zombie government paralysed by infighting and personal ambition".
Liz Truss's resignation on Thursday after just weeks in office has triggered the second Tory leadership contest in four months, with the victor set to be decided by Friday 28 October.
Tory MPs are now scrambling to find a successor who can govern the warring party, with previous leadership hopefuls Penny Mordaunt, current Leader of the House, and former chancellor Rishi Sunak, tipped as frontrunners.
It is also expected that former prime minister Boris Johnson will run again, despite stepping down last month, in an unexpected comeback likely to create further chaos in Conservative ranks.
Read more: Apologies, u-turns and sackings: 7 days of mini-budget chaos which ended Liz Truss's premiership
Read more: Liz Truss entitled to £115,000 a year despite only serving 45 days as PM
Simon Francis, co-ordinator at leading anti-fuel poverty campaign group End Fuel Poverty, has said the Conservative party's "infighting" was worsening the crisis for millions of people.
“Once again as the cost of living crisis bites hard, people are in the hands of a zombie government paralysed by infighting and personal ambition," he said.
“The constant U-turns and paralysis in government has millions of victims: the people condemned to fuel poverty.
“Had we had a functioning government this year, the energy bills crisis would not have got out of hand and we wouldn’t be in a situation now where we have 7m homes in fuel poverty.
“People are now dreading the dark nights and cold weather. The NHS is at crisis point and will be unable to cope with the health impacts of people living in cold damp homes.
“We need to see an immediate £14bn package of support to help the most vulnerable stay warm this winter."
Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Yahoo News UK: "People are struggling to pay the bills and are facing soaring mortgage costs as a consequence of the Tory crisis made in Downing Street.
"We need a general election now so Labour can clear up this Tory economic mess.”
The UK's spiralling cost of living crisis
The cost-of-living crisis in the UK continues to escalate. The latest stats show:
Inflation hit 10.1% in the 12 months to September, with food inflation hitting 14.6%
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found 31.9 million people, or 60% of UK adults, are estimated to be finding it a "heavy burden" or "somewhat of a burden" keeping up with bills
The FCA also estimate that 7.8 million people - almost one in six - are struggling to keep up with their bills, an increase of around 2.5 million people since 2020
One in seven people in the UK are skipping meals or going without food according to new data from the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
On Thursday leading food bank charity the Trussell Trust said a surge in demand means it has already used up its reserve stock, which would normally help maintain supplies across the winter months
Watch: Liz Truss’ 44 days in office in 44 seconds
