Dominic Raab grinning while discussing solutions to the cost of living crisis is truly bizarre

Dominic Raab couldn't wipe the smile off his face during an interview about solutions to the cost of living crisis.

The deputy PM and justice secretary drew the short straw this morning and had to do the daily media rounds with Sky News and other shows where he was quizzed on a number of pressing issues from Ukraine to the economy.

It seemed he had a pretty good time on Sky, though, as he smiled when Niall Paterson brought up the cost of living crisis, after grilling him on the latest developments in Ukraine, and what he thought about that Angela Rayner story.

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"Everyone yesterday at cabinet was asked to come up with some bright ideas for the cost of living crisis. I'm just wondering what yours were sitting at the head of the justice department?" Paterson asked as Raab did his best impression of a Cheshire cat.

"I don't comment on the detail of what we discuss in cabinet but I think there's a whole range of things that we are looking at," Raab replied.

It comes after Boris Johnson called a cabinet meeting yesterday and asked ministers to pitch solutions for the crisis, as record inflation pushes up food and energy prices.

Sources told the BBC that transport secretary Grant Shapps suggested relaxing the frequency of MOTs, while Johnson backed proposals to let nursery staff look after more toddlers each to help bring down childcare costs. Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, also pushed for more tax cuts, backed by Jacob Rees-Mogg. The government, however, has not gone into full details about what they discussed and Labour leader Keir Starmer was rather disparaging about the whole affair, saying:

“The cost of living crisis has been staring us in the face for six months now, and it’s a real problem for people struggling with their bills – and the cabinet meeting this morning isn’t going to change any of that."

Back to Sky News then and continuing his answer, Raab then appeared more formal as he discussed government packages including "rebates" on council tax and energy bills (they are more like loans) and said the cabinet had discussed measures to deal with childcare and housing at their meeting yesterday.

His grin though? Very strange indeed.

indy100 has contacted Raab to comment on this story.

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