NEW Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing growing calls to expand his windfall tax on fossil fuel giants after Shell announced “obscene” profits of £8.2 billion today.

The massively inflated earnings — made in the three months to the end of September —come as the British multinational benefits from soaring global oil and gas prices following Russia’s attack on Ukraine earlier this year.

Having pocketed nearly £10bn in the first two quarters of 2022, the company is on course for its most profitable year ever, with shareholders banking an astonishing £20bn in the last 12 months. 

Unions, climate activists and opposition MPs urged Mr Sunak, who as chancellor bowed to Labour pressure in the spring and implemented a limited “energy profits levy,” to go further and ensure sky-rocketing bills do not fall upon under-pressure working people, whose take-home pay is already falling. 

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These profits are obscene — especially at a time when millions are struggling with soaring bills.

“The government has run out of excuses. It must impose a higher windfall tax on oil and gas companies.

“The likes of Shell are treating families like cash machines — households across Britain are being fleeced.”

In May, Mr Sunak announced a 25 per cent surcharge on the British profits of energy giants to help pay for a package of support for households struggling with spiralling prices.

His plans, which included widely condemned tax breaks for the biggest firms, are due to lapse by the end of 2025 at the latest. 

Labour’s shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband demanded more radical action, saying plans from Liz Truss’s successor are a “pale imitation of Labour’s windfall tax and would see billions of pounds of taxpayer money go back into the pockets of oil and gas giants through ludicrous tax breaks.

“It tells you everything you need to know about whose side this Conservative government is on that they refuse to back Labour’s proper windfall tax whilst working people, families and pensioners suffer.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said any refusal to heed the call would be an “insult to families facing heart-breaking choices this winter. 

“Even the chief executive of Shell has admitted that oil and gas companies should be taxed more to help protect vulnerable households.”

Fossil fuel firms are “literally laughing all the way to the bank,” End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis warned. 

“Their soaring profits are only matched by the soaring levels of fuel poverty we are seeing across the UK,” he stressed. 

“Seven million homes are in fuel poverty now, set to rise to 11m from April 2023 — this is an increase from 4.6m households last winter.”

Greenpeace UK blasted the situation, with senior climate adviser Charlie Kronick saying: “The only way to address the interlocking cost-of-living, energy security and climate crises is a street by street rollout of home insulation combined with a massive lift in ambition for renewable energy.

“These solutions would lower people’s bills permanently. Responding to the cost-of-living crisis is well within the government’s control — the question is, will Rishi finally take responsibility?”

The Scottish branch of Friends of the Earth accused energy giants of “inflicting pain on the public as millions are being pushed into fuel poverty.”

The grassroots network’s Freya Aitchison said: “Bosses and shareholders at Shell are being allowed to get even richer by exploiting one of our most basic needs.

“Shell is also worsening climate breakdown and extreme weather by continuing to invest in oil and gas projects.”

Tory Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi told LBC radio that the PM would “look at every decision” but he warned against “disincentivising investment.”