Miliband demands consumer protection from 'surcharge culture'

Wednesday, 18 January 2012 10:52 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

The tendency of companies to add exorbitant surcharges on purchases should be limited by a consumer watchdog, Ed Miliband has said.

Fresh from an ongoing confrontation with his trade union backers, the Labour leader proposed the idea as a measure to help the 'squeezed middle'.

"In every area, you have to call time on the surcharge culture," he told the Telegraph.

"Making a fair profit is important but it can't be done in an underhand and predatory way.

"This is about power in relation to private services and how government can be on the consumer's side. It's about the rules that government sets," he added.

"People's living standards are squeezed as never before, and we have to do everything we can to relieve that burden."

Mr Miliband singled out car parking charges and energy companies for criticism.

He attacked consumer helplines for charging "50p a minute just to complain" and banks for making £2 billion annually from unauthorised overdraft fees.

Pensions firms were also criticised for failing to set out how much they are charging savers to invest, following research that showed up to 16 fees and levies can be applied to private schemes.

Tags:
• consumer watchdog