A Bolton MP has hit out at the time the government has taken to introduce measures to help people cope with “apocalyptic” cost-of-living prices.

This comes after Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi spoke at a debate this week which heard that energy prices could rise again by £800 this Autumn while inflation could rise by up to 10 per cent leading to what the Bank of England calls "apocolyptic" food prices.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has now announced a package of support measures including an energy discount of £400 but Ms Qureshi fears this is too little too late.

She said: “It now appears that the government will be heeding the Labour Party’s advice and will introduce a windfall tax to support the lowest paid households.

“We of course welcome this, but I must ask why this has taken so long and why the government refused to act?”

“This desperate attempt to save face also tells us that this is a government out of ideas and it is only the Labour party who are offering realistic options to deal with the cost of living crisis, a crisis which was made in Number 10 Downing Street.”

Ms Qureshi has also called on the government to cancel the planned National Insurance and cut VAT paid on energy bills.

A government spokesperson has said they "stand ready to do more."