Energy giants’ profits ‘not evil’, says Liz Truss as industry demands windfall tax ditched by 2025

Tory leadership favourite says windfall taxes ‘all about bashing business’

Conservative leadership favourite Liz Truss defended the energy giants’ huge profits, insisting that they should not be seen as either “dirty or evil”.

It comes as the oil and gas industry chiefs urged Truss and her rival Rishi Sunak to scrap the windfall tax on profits as soon as possible – and not to extend it beyond 2025.

Truss – who is resisting opposition calls to expand the windfall tax – said: “I don’t think profit is a dirty word. And the fact it’s become a dirty word in our society is a massive problem.”