Gordon Brown calls for government to drop energy price cap and nationalise firms which cannot lower bills

Former Labour prime minister says ‘several urgently needed decisions’ need to be taken

Gordon Brown has said Cobra should meet to discuss solution for the cost of living crisis (PA Archive)

Gordon Brown has called for the government to drop the energy price cap and temporarily renationalise energy companies which are not able to offer customers lower energy bills.

Writing in The Guardian, the former Labour prime minister compared the current cost of living crisis and soaring energy costs to the 2008 banking disaster.

In a broadside at Boris Johnson – who has been enjoying a trip to Slovenia in recent days – Mr Brown said that in a crisis leaders “don’t take holidays, and don’t politely hang fire”.