Major windfall energy tax plan surprised Heseltine

Sir John Major's former deputy prime minister did not back his call for a windfall tax on energy companies.

Lord Heseltine said he was surprised by the ex-prime minister's intervention last week, but said Sir John was a "cautious fellow - he does not say things without thinking them out."

But the Tory peer, who served as Deputy PM under Sir John from 1995-97 added: "I am not in favour of increasing taxes anywhere really."

On Tuesday, Sir John said the government should impose a "one-off windfall tax" on energy firms if Whitehall was forced to pay out a lot of money this winter to help people who were being made to choose between "keeping warm and eating".

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