Government plans will not tackle cost-of-living and climate crises, Quakers say

When Liz Truss became Prime Minister earlier this month, Quakers in Britain asked her to prioritise the interlinked cost-of-living and climate crises.

Over the past few days, the government has announced a swathe of measures that we fear will deepen inequality and worsen the climate crisis.

With its focus on tax cuts, the government has missed the opportunity to use progressive taxation measures to build a greener and fairer society.

Measures such as corporation tax cuts, investment zones and lifting the cap on bankers' bonuses will benefit those who already have the most, but will do little to help the financially poorest in society.

Assistance with energy bills will begin to alleviate some people's immediate cost-of-living concerns. However, with this and other measures, the government has failed to tackle the underlying causes of poverty, inequality or the energy crisis.

The plans seriously risk undermining the UK's climate commitments. Lifting the ban on fracking, supporting new oil and gas projects, and proposed deregulation will worsen the climate crisis and ultimately cause great harm to people and nature.

We urge the government to focus on a just transition to a zero-carbon economy that will benefit everyone in society.