Boris Johnson won’t act on cost of living crisis as he rejects pleas for emergency budget

PM will not call Cobra meetings or meet with Tory leadership rivals to discuss economy, says No 10

Boris Johnson has rejected pleas to intervene on the cost of living crisis, refusing calls for an emergency budget, regular Cobra meetings and the recall of parliament.

Gordon Brown has warned that children will be forced to attend school “ill-clad and undernourished” if the government does not act now to support people through the inflation crisis.

But No 10 dismissed the former Labour prime minister’s demand for Cobra crisis meetings on the economy – insisting it was up to “a future prime minister to decide whether or what measures are required”.