FOUR of the six MPs in the conurbation voted against Labour’s motion for a windfall tax, which could have saved families up to £600.

Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, Sir Robert Syms, MP for Poole, Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset and Sir Chris Chope, MP for Christchurch, voted against Labour's bid for the one-off tax. 

The remaining two – Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, and Michael Tomlinson, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole – didn’t vote. Mr Ellwood was in Washington and Mr Tomlinson was a teller for the vote on Tuesday.

The motion was defeated by 310 votes to 248, a majority of 62 votes. 

Read more: Two Dorset MPs warn against windfall tax on energy companies

According to Labour, a windfall tax on the oil and gas giants could save households up to £600 on bills at a time where there is a cost of living crisis. 

The Daily Echo contacted all six MPs across the area on the reaons for their vote, but none returned our calls or were available for comment.

Sir Keir Starmer told Boris Johnson yesterday to stop dithering and make an “inevitable U-turn” on imposing the tax.

The Labour leader said the PM was performing the “hokey cokey” over the policy and had not taken swifter action as he “doesn’t actually understand what working families are going through” in the UK. 

Read more: Chancellor ‘pragmatic’ about idea of introducing windfall tax

Mr Johnson defended the Government’s existing package of support in response to cost-of-living increases, adding that “all sensible measures” will be looked at.

The rejection of the windfall tax comes at a time when people are struggling to pay their bills. 

More than 1.5 million UK households will struggle to pay food and energy bills, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. 

Yesterday (Wednesday, May 18) UK inflation, the rate at which prices rise, rose to nine per cent in the 12 months to April, increasing from seven per cent in March. 

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Today’s inflation numbers are driven by the energy price cap rise in April, which in turn is driven by higher global energy prices. 

“We cannot protect people completely from these global challenges but are providing significant support where we can.”