On Tuesday 17 May, Conservative MPs, including Wimbledon’s MP Stephen Hammond, voted against a windfall tax on oil and gas companies to help people with their energy bills. 

Despite 248 MPs voting in favour of the one-off tax on the record profits of multinational oil firms, the Conservative MP for Wimbledon failed to support the proposal, even as inflation soared to 9%.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has found a windfall tax on Shell and BP alone would have raised a staggering £10bn in the first quarter of this year, enough to slash energy bills for millions of people.

Cllr Paul Kohler, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Wimbledon, has criticised the local Conservative MP for backing tax rises and failing to help people with the cost of living crisis.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for VAT to be cut from 20% to 17.5%, saving the average family £600 a year, to help families in Wimbledon through cost of living crisis.

Cllr Paul Kohler said: “It was shameful to see the local Conservative MP vote against helping people in our area with soaring energy bills. How is it fair that oil and gas companies make record profits at our expense?

"This Conservative Government clearly cares more about the profits of gas companies than struggling people in Wimbledon.

"Boris Johnson has abandoned families and pensioners who are on the brink as the cost of living crisis worsens. All we’ve had from Boris Johnson is unfair tax hikes and empty promises. Instead, the Government should be slashing taxes."

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey MP said: "The oil companies are raking in billions off the backs of families and pensioners. The country is crying out for a windfall tax and can’t understand why Ministers won’t budge.

"With a winter of discontent looming on the horizon, this cost of living crisis is only going to get worse, and the public will never forgive Ministers for refusing to save them."