A "BOGUS" explanation by Chancellor Rishi Sunak for people having to pay more on their energy bills has come under fire for trying to "mislead the public".
In an article that appeared in The Sun newspaper, Sunak said that one of the reasons for the soaring cost of energy bills was down to having a "colder than usual winter".
The Chancellor has been in his position since the end of 2019 and Met Office figures show that the average UK temperature for December since he entered office was the highest in 2021 than the years that preceded it.
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The average temperature for this January was also high, more than double the temperature recorded in 2021.
It comes as energy price regulator Ofgem announced that the price cap will increase by 54% from April, increasing annual bills for a typical household by almost £700.
Sunak announced measures on Thursday to address the rise in energy bills but most of the multi-billion pound package is wrapped up in a £200 loan to millions of households which will be paid back by householders to the Treasury in a five-year levy.
Meanwhile, experts predict October might bring another 17% spike in bills, unless global gas prices fall rapidly.
The SNP has described multi-millionaire Sunak as either "out of touch" or "happy to mislead the public".
Kenneth Gibson MP said: "Rishi Sunak is simply wrong. Any cursory check would have confirmed this year’s winter has been pretty mild so far.
“We are facing a cost of living crisis and people deserve serious action from grown-up governments, not inadequate financial support coupled with bogus excuses from irresponsible politicians.
“Meanwhile this week we also saw the Tory government refuse to halt Rishi Sunak’s tax cut for banks that would save them £4 billion. Yet he lectures the rest of us on living within our means.
“It beggars belief that this multi-millionaire Chancellor who profited from the 2008 financial crash thinks banks are worthy of a massive tax cut but that ordinary people have to struggle.
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"That Rishi Sunak can claim something that is provably untrue to justify his foot-dragging either shows he is out of touch with the financial struggles of millions of people or he knew his excuses were untrue and is perfectly happy to try to mislead the public.
"Regardless, the Chancellor needs to admit that he was incorrect to blame a 'colder than usual winter’ for the rise of energy bills and start being straight with the majority of families who will be many thousands of pounds worse off this year."
The Sun article online has since been amended to "last year across Europe and Asia we had a long cold winter" leading to lower than stores of gas. The link that intends to justify this claim leads to a story about one cold night in January of this year.
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