Nick Ferrari slams minister over 'shameful' need for warm banks

30 August 2022, 10:25

Minister quizzed on support for Brits amid soaring energy bills

By EJ Ward

"After 12 years of Tory rule cold people have to go to a library to keep warm, that's shameful isn't it!?" Nick Ferrari slams the need for the public to use warm banks amid the cost of living crisis.

Asked about plans for so-called 'warm banks' in libraries, community centres and art galleries, DCMS minister Matt Warman told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "Those are initiatives put forward by local councils that are for them.

"What the Government has to do and has done up to this point and will continue to do in the future is make sure that people have got the resources to heat their own homes.

"Those initiatives that are put forward, I think, will be welcome to some people. Of course they will be. But what the Government is doing and will continue to do is focusing on giving people the resources they need in their own homes, rather than having to leave them."

The conversation comes as Brits brace for soaring energy bills over winter as the cost of living crisis looms.

The average bill is set to rise to £3,576 in October with the new price cap and this is likely to be followed by further massive increases in January and April that could leave consumers facing staggering £5,000 costs to heat households.

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The minister told Nick: "Welcome though these initiatives might be for some people, they're not going to be the only option. They shouldn't be the only option... I'm confident that the package of help that's there and the package of help... (from the next prime minister) will make real progress in that regard."

Mr Warman's connection failed before the end of the interview, leading to host Nick Ferrari to say: "This is handy as you're the broadband minister. You can't hear me, can you? That is sensational and the picture's frozen.

"So there we go, we've got the Government banging on about however many billon pounds worth it is of... gigabit and he can't take the question... talking about the progress of broadband and the line collapses."