Kwasi Kwarteng blames Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine for ‘devastating price hikes’

Kwasi Kwarteng has blamed Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine for “devastating” energy price hikes.

The chancellor addressed Conservative Party conference on Monday afternoon, hours after announcing a government U-turn on tax cuts announced in the mini-Budget.

“Make no mistake, this is a monumental support package for families and businesses, from the devastating price hikes unleashed by Vladimir Putin,” Mr Kwarteng said.

“The price of inaction would have been far greater than the cost of the scheme. We will deal with the short-term shocks caused by Putin.”

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