Evening Standard Comment: Rishi Sunak must act on the cost of living crisis

Battles between the Treasury and Department for Business over who runs the British economy are common. But the outcome of the row between Rishi Sunak and Kwasi Kwarteng — over ramping up of support for household energy bills — will provide a clue as to whether the Government understands that the UK is in an economic war.

Reports suggest that Sunak opposes raising the generosity of his loan scheme for bills, in the face of sky-rocketing wholesale prices. Adherence to balanced budgets has its place. But the world is changing rapidly since this policy was first announced at the start of February, with Putin’s invasion and the resulting unprecedented sanctions levied on Russia.

The Budget is set for March 23. The Chancellor must urgently use it to set out how he intends to grapple with falling living standards, how additional defence spending will be funded, what he’ll do about inflation, food and the National Insurance rise. If he continues to oppose Labour’s plan for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, he should set out why.

Britons want to help Ukraine, but they are fearful too of being forced to choose between eating and heating their homes. The Government must meet this cost of living crisis head on.

The old-fashioned school run has been on the wane for some time now thanks to a range of measures to ban cars and pollution from school gates. Sadiq Khan is now rolling out more than 500 “school streets”, using CCTV cameras to restrict vehicle access to roads near schools at the beginning and end of the day.

There have been 372 introduced since the start of the pandemic. They also encourage children to walk to and from school, which is to be welcomed. City Hall estimates that school streets reduce nitrogen dioxide by up to 23 per cent during the morning drop-off.

Small changes that will make a measurable difference to our children’s health.