Boris Johnson has finally spoken out about the cost of living crisis, although even his well-intentioned speech has not gone down well with his critics online.
But the clip that is going viral on Twitter has been taken out of context.
Here’s what you need to know.
What happened?
On Thursday, during his final public address as prime minister, Johnson was extolling the virtues of nuclear power.
He said he would set aside £700m of funding for a new nuclear power station to improve the UK’s energy security and tried to explain how it might look more expensive now to install but would pay off in the long run.
He claimed that if Hinkley Point C nuclear power station (in Somerset) were to operate now, it would cut “our national fuel bills by £3bn”.
He explained: “Nuclear always seems – when you start – relatively expensive to build and operate, but look at what’s happening today, look at the results of Putin’s war. It’s certainly cheap compared to hydrocarbons.”
He then made this analogy: “If you have an old boiler that takes a long time to boil, it might cost you £20 to replace it, but it will save you £10 a year every year, in your electricity bill.”
However, that last sentence was taken out of context on social media and widely mocked to sound like real cost of living advice.
Why did people react so strongly to the clip?
If this was real advice, it would mean a saving of £10 a year – that’s just 0.28% of the £3,549 energy price cap imposed on the average household from 1 October.
The rise is set to worsen a crisis already gripping the UK, as it is an 80% jump compared to the current high energy price cap of £1,971.
According to the Resolution Foundation, three million more people are in poverty this winter as a result.
So, understandably, people were not keen to let the prime minister – who has been accused of missing in action since he resigned in early July – leave when they believed it was genuine advice.
Has Johnson been forthcoming throughout the cost of living crisis?
Johnson has faced repeated scrutiny for not addressing the cost of living crisis since he resigned in early July.
The government also decided it would not make any financial decisions for the rest of Johnson’s time in office, despite the speed with which the cost of living crisis is worsening.
Since resigning, the prime minister has gone on holiday twice, avoided crucial Cobra meetings and moved to the country house with grace and favor in Chequers.
Meanwhile, inflation has risen to 10.1%, the fastest pace of growth in 40 years, and could go beyond 18%, according to investment bank Citi.
Only last October, the Prime Minister had tried to allay any inflation concerns by claiming that these fears were “unfounded”.
Neither of his potential successors, Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss, have outlined coherent plans to tackle the crisis.
But Johnson claimed on Thursday that further government aid was on the way.
Speaking in Suffolk, the Prime Minister said: “We are helping people now with the cost of living and there will certainly be more money, whoever takes over from me, in the coming months – significant amounts, that is absolutely clearly. “
He claimed that it was “clear from the new administration, there will be a further package” because “we have the fiscal power to solve it”.
So what was he really saying about nuclear power?
The energy crisis stems from Europe’s reliance on Russian supplies. Since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine, the West has added a growing list of sanctions against Russia and tried to cut off its oil and gas exports.
Russia has also squeezed the amount of energy it sends to Europe to leverage the West over continued support for Ukraine.
So Johnson’s decision to back nuclear power comes at a time when the UK is in desperate need of new energy sources.
His speech at the new reactor at the Sizewell site in Suffolk could power the equivalent of around six million homes once built.
However, as Johnson leaves office on Tuesday, it is not clear whether the building will continue. Downing Street did not provide further details about the funding, according to the PA news agency, and energy company EDF (which is intended to partner with the plant) did not respond.
The total cost of the project could be around £20bn and it won’t start producing electricity until around the 2030s.
However, nuclear is considered a possible alternative to fossil fuels.
Johnson also took aim at previous governments (led by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown) for not injecting funds into it sooner – even though the Tories have been in power for 12 years now.
“So, no more national myopia,” he concluded. “No more short-term, let’s think about the future, let’s think about our children and grandchildren, about the next generation.”
