Just all the downright tone deaf things Tory MPs have said about the cost of living crisis

Almost 25 per cent of adults in the UK are planning to keep the heating off this winter. One in seven university students are scared of being homeless by the start of next year. But don’t worry, here are some MPs who know *just* what to say to make it all better.

Unsurprisingly, MPs have said and done a whole load of tone-deaf things when discussing the cost of living crisis. Let’s get in to it, shall we?

Boris Johnson told people to spend £20 to save £10

Speaking in Suffolk yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the public to simply buy a £20 kettle to save £10 a year on energy bills.

His logic is that an older kettle “takes ages to boil” and that you’ll save “£10 a year for every year on your electricity bill”.

Not sure where Boris got this statistic from or who his speechwriter is but the public is steaming mad.

Michael Gove used mock accents

When speaking to BBC Breakfast in May 2022, Gove used various accents to tell people to “calm down” over the lack of financial support they are receiving from the government.

Vice speculated that Gove is “actually an AI robot covered in genetically engineered skin” and his badly executed accents were simply a glitch. Or that he lost a bet on the work group chat.

The New European reported Gove’s special advisor told him to be more of “a character” during his interviews by using funny voices and gesticulation, according to an “informant”.

Whatever the case, Gove’s accents made light of a serious situation, leading many to believe that the government is not taking the cost of living crisis seriously. And now he’s on holiday in Ibiza. 

George Eustice told people to just buy value brands

When discussing the cost of living crisis with Sky News, Eustice advised struggling families to use “value brands, rather than own-branded products” in an effort to “manage their household budgets”.

When annual grocery bills are set to increase by £533, Twitter blew up at what people called Eustice’s tone-deaf advice. “Let them eat value brands” said one user.

Boris Johnson (again)

On Good Morning Britain earlier this year, Johnson was told of a 77-year-old woman using her bus pass to stay on public transport all day rather than using energy at her own home.

Despite the average Briton facing a £700 increase in their gas and electricity bills, Johnson did not address this and instead took credit for the Freedom bus pass he said he “introduced” as Mayor in 2012 that allowed this elderly woman to use the buses for free.

It then came out that he didn’t even introduce it. The London-wide scheme issuing bus passes to pensioners started in 1973 when Johnson was nine years old. However, he did introduce the 60+ Concessionary Travel Scheme, which covers those over 60 who do not qualify for the Freedom Pass (which is only eligible as per the age of retirement).

Kit Malthouse complained about the cost of living crisis despite earning £115k

During an LBC radio interview in April, the Tory Policing Minister told Nick Ferrari that the cost of living crisis would be “quite tricky” for him and his family due to his increasing heating bill.

It was quickly pointed out by people that Malthouse is on a salary of £115,000 and was receiving an additional £2,212 pay rise on the day he was interviewed. And he was sitting in front of a log fire.

Sajid Javid started a weird debate about his beard

After an appearance on Sky News in August, Sajid Javid took to Twitter – not to discuss the cost of living crisis further, but to discuss his new facial hair which had debuted that day. He used the hashtag #beardgate.

The Former Health Secretary used a Twitter poll to ask the public “Beard or no beard?” whilst many took to the comments to ask for polls about the real issue at hand: “#eat or #heat?”

You’ll also be interested to know that the poll received just under 35,000 votes with 61.8 per cent of respondents approving of Javid’s beard. Someone commented that he looks like a “Guess Who character” and now I can’t unsee it.

 

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• Actually useful things uni students can do to help the cost of living crisis

• The university cities where the cost of living crisis is hitting students the hardest

• One in seven university students are scared of being homeless by the start of next year