Now right-wing media attack Martin Lewis but people are not standing for it

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has warned that soaring energy bills are turning into a “national crisis” on the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic and will put lives at risk.

The founder of MoneySavingExpert called on the two Conservative leadership candidates to set out how they will tackle the energy crisis as households face a “cataclysmic” rise in energy bills.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that Government figures are acting like “zombies” over the mounting problem and need to act now.

“For every £100 direct debit you currently pay, in October you will be paying £181, and in January you will be paying £215, and that’s on top of the rises we had in April,” he said.

Cataclysmic rise

“That is a cataclysmic rise for households; millions of households will simply not be able to afford it.”

He said a typical bill will be £4,266 a year from January – 45% of the full new state pension and a bigger proportion of the old state pension.

Mr Lewis added: “What we’re facing here is a financial emergency that risks lives.

“I accept the point that Boris Johnson is running a zombie Government and can’t do much, but the two candidates – one of them will be our prime minister – they need to get together in the national interest to tell us the bare minimum of what they will do.

“If they can’t agree… what we need to hear now, because the mental health damage for millions of people who are panicked about this is manifest, is we need to hear accurate plans.”

Right-wing media

It seems that calling out the government for doing pretty much nothing to stop the energy crisis has ruffled a few feathers, and that has been amplified by the right-wing press.

A Mailplus.co.uk article by Stephen Glover was published with the title: “I don’t doubt we’re facing a serious crisis. But do the BBC and its favourite prophet of doom Martin Lewis have to be so apocalyptic?”

Yes, we’re facing a crisis. But does the BBC really have to keep promoting this prophet of doomhttps://t.co/LzSaVc4PC9

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) August 11, 2022

Reactions

Going after Martin lewis, a non-political peoples’ champion has not gone down well:

1.

So the right wing media have started to lambast Martin Lewis now because he's ringing the alarm bells.

Straight from the playbook of ….. if you can't attack the message then attack the messenger.

— Julie Street 🇪🇺💙🇺🇦 (@Juliest101) August 11, 2022

2.

Thought this handy guide might help Daily Mail readers:

Martin Lewis isn't your enemy.
The EU isn't your enemy.
Human Rights aren't bad.
Nurses & Drs aren't your enemy.
Rail workers & teachers aren't your enemy.
Refugees aren't your enemy.

The Daily Mail is your enemy!

— The Social Sciences (@Soc_Sciences) August 11, 2022

3.

keep Martin Lewis' name out your mouth pic.twitter.com/2jn5ct5KUm

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) August 11, 2022

4.

keep Martin Lewis' name out your mouth pic.twitter.com/2jn5ct5KUm

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) August 11, 2022

5.

The next stage in the Right's "experts are the enemies of the people" campaign: go after Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert, whose website has saved countless millions money. https://t.co/4eiuBJsT3V

— Edwin Hayward (@edwinhayward) August 11, 2022

6.

When a person is standing in the crisis and pointing at the crisis saying its a crisis, they're simply pointing out the truth, not a prophet of doom.

If it was a Tory talking point he'd be praised for "telling it like it is", but the Tory propaganda machine is in full flow https://t.co/0vFAWv9spf

— Scott Johnson (@scottiej24) August 11, 2022

7.

Nobody doubts your doubts……we just doubt you are listening.

Calling @MartinSLewis a “prophet of doom” is an effort to deflect from the woeful mishandling of the crisis! pic.twitter.com/mRA8947LJI

— OutofTweet123 (@Outoftweet123) August 11, 2022

8.

So says the Daily Prophet of Doom. pic.twitter.com/XAKvBKlKjh

— Matt Baldwin (@Coastmatt) August 11, 2022

9.

Says the man who looks like an actual prophet of doom. pic.twitter.com/lFUGS9ZKx3

— Patrick Dalton (@shitlondon) August 11, 2022

10.

https://twitter.com/BladeoftheS/status/1557671336096530432

11.

Kind of hard to see how Martin Lewis is a “prophet of doom” when all he’s doing is filling in for one of the things where the government is absent, namely telling people about the size of the crisis we’re facing and how best to protect you and your family from the worst of it.

— Nick Tyrone (@NicholasTyrone) August 11, 2022

Related: ‘As bad as the pandemic’: Martin Lewis sounds energy bills alarm