Speaking to Sky News, the former Labor prime minister took aim at the Conservatives as he called for further intervention and branded the party’s tax windfall as “stupid”. He claimed exemptions included in the tax introduced when Rishi Sunak was chancellor reduced the value of the tax from £15bn to £5bn. Politics Hub: Gordon Brown hits ‘void’ at heart of government – live updates He set out his own vision for tackling the cost of living crisis, including changing the windfall tax, capping energy bills and reforming the benefits system. But he ruled out a return to the political front line, telling Sky News: “When you’re out, you’re out.” Mr Brown said he is campaigning hard on the cost of living crisis because he sees poverty in his native Fife “that I never expected to see again in my lifetime”. He said the charities were supplying duvets, sleeping bags, hot water bottles and blankets “because they know people can no longer afford to heat their homes”. Meanwhile, religious groups are “considering opening their church halls as heating hubs so that pensioners, instead of freezing at home, have a warm place to go”. Brown said: “There is no doubt that people will be without food and hungry and cold in October if we don’t act now.” He added: “If charities and organizations in the community are taking urgent action to do something, I think it’s time the government responded. The vacuum at the center of government really needs to end.” The comments come after former Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden attacked Mr Brown’s record as prime minister, claiming he left the country “penniless”. He told Sky News: “I don’t take huge lessons from Gordon Brown, remember this was a man who gave us a 75pc rise. for retirees, so he doesn’t really have a great record on that sort of thing.” Read more: Call for emergency Universal Credit rise as report finds some families £1,600 worse off Truss vows to ‘immediately reverse’ NI rise in emergency budget – as Sunak slams ‘starry-eyed boost’ But Mr Brown hit back at the “totally false” allegations against him as he criticized the government’s lack of leadership amid the cost of living crisis, saying “nobody seems to be in charge”. He said it was “ridiculous” that Boris Johnson and Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi went on holiday as the Bank of England warned of a recession, while claiming Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss’ “obsession” with tax cuts would not help struggling people to pay their bills. Asked what he would do if he were in Downing Street right now, he said the first thing he would do is call an emergency COBRA meeting with the leaders-in-waiting. He added: “I would talk about changes to the universal credit system to give people the money they need. And I would talk about potentially reducing energy bills and that would have the effect of reducing inflation, as well as of course helping people who they have the greatest need. “None of these things seem to be being discussed right now the way they should be. And it’s really not good enough for the leadership candidates to go around the country and say, ‘I’ll have a plan next month, next month”. .’ This is the crisis. It must be addressed now.”
