When is a discount not a discount? When it comes from Rishi Sunak

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It is a great pity that Westminster was so fast and loose with taxpayers money throughout the pandemic (PA Wire)

When is a discount not a discount? When it comes from Rishi Sunak. Touted as a “discount” on energy costs, Sunak’s plan is nothing of the sort. It is a £200 loan that must be repaid.

A discount is a reduction in the price of something. If I’m a retailer and I reduce the price of something by £200, I don’t later go back to the customer saying: “Remember that product I sold you? You still owe me £200 on it.” If I offered a “discount” in this way, I’d soon have Trading Standards and Consumer Affairs knocking at my door.

It would be much fairer to restore the £20 uplift for those receiving universal credit, which includes many folks in work. It is a great pity that Westminster was so fast and loose with taxpayers’ money, gifting billions – not millions – throughout the pandemic to corporations, businesses, and even individuals, for PPE that was either useless or not supplied.