Mohammad Yasin MP

WORDS FROM

Mohammad Yasin, MP for Bedford and Kempston

Every summer when Parliament is in recess, I take the opportunity to knock on doors as often as possible to hear the concerns of my constituents. I’ve been doing this for years but never I have sensed such a profound sense of nervousness and dread about the cost-of-living.

While the impact of soaring inflation, spiralling prices on groceries, fuel and energy bills is impacting those on the lowest incomes including families, those living with disabilities and pensioners most severely, there’s no one I’ve met who isn’t worried about their domestic finances.

There are all kinds of surveys and statistics being reported about millions of people already cutting their cloth including skipping meals, but I’m hearing people struggling to find any more areas of spending to cut back on to keep their finances above water. And that’s before the October energy price cap hike when the choice between heating and eating will be optimistic for many.

“Tragic news” that bills could hit £4,426 in the second quarter of next year before easing led the consumer champion Martin Lewis to urge the “zombie government” to come up with an immediate action plan to help households.

He’s not the only one who is screaming out that this will be unaffordable for millions. Earlier this month former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown did more to tackle the cost-of-living crisis than the current or future Tory PM when he set out the case for an emergency budget, as Keir Starmer and the Labour front bench have been calling for, for months.

The government’s energy bills support scheme provides a £400 discount on bills spread over six months from October for every household, a £650 means-tested one-off payment to 8 million lowincome households, £150 for those on disability benefits and £300 for pensioners. But this was designed when the forecast for the October price cap was £2,800.

I was pleased to see the Government finally agree to the windfall tax on the vast profits of the energy giants but much more is needed to ease the crisis. We need to scrap the tax breaks on oil and gas producers, and we need to take back control of our energy to cuts bills by investing in homegrown renewable and nuclear energy production, vastly increase on and offshore wind and solar power and cut VAT on energy bills. We need to keep homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer by insulating 19 million more homes and cut small business rates. Income tax cuts may help a bit but will do nothing to help those on the lowest incomes.

We need action from this Government now but instead of recalling Parliament, our leaders are digging their heels in not to act with the current PM saying it’s a matter for the next PM. 5 million people – almost half the UK population – face fuel poverty in October when prices rise again. Time is running out to change Universal Credit in time. The country can’t wait for the Tory leadership contest to be over. They’re all in the same party – they need to get together for the good of the nation instead of focussing on their careers to come up with a plan to prevent social catastrophe. People’s livelihoods, mental health and indeed lives depend on it.