I will help with costs where I can, says Rishi Sunak

The chancellor has pledged to help "where we can make a difference", as he faces pressure to help households with soaring living costs.

Ahead of next week's Spring Statement, Rishi Sunak told the BBC he would "stand by" people, but warned sanctions against Russia were not "cost-free".

He is facing calls from some Tory MPs to cut fuel duty to help ease rising costs at the pumps.

His Labour counterpart Rachel Reeves said her party would back such a move.

But the shadow chancellor said the government should also be taxing oil and gas companies to fund more generous energy discounts for poorer families.

And she repeated Labour's call for ministers to scrap the 1.25 percentage point hike in National Insurance, which is due to begin in April.

The Spring Statement is not usually an occasion to announce big tax and spending decisions.

But this year, Mr Sunak is facing pressure to act on living standards amid the soaring cost of energy and rising household bills due to increasing inflation.

More than 50 Tory MPs have urged him to cut fuel duty, which has been frozen for over a decade, to reduce the price of petrol and diesel.

Others within his party have been calling for the government to scrap VAT on energy bills - while others want green levies removed to reduce costs.