Ahead of today’s budget announcement, Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to call a halt to the National Insurance hike and back our windfall tax to cut the cost of gas and electricity.
Preet’s appeal to the Chancellor comes off the back of new research from 38 Degrees, a community campaigning organisation, which shows how drastically residents across Edgbaston constituency are already being affected by rising energy prices.
Residents in Bartley Green, Quinton, Harborne and Edgbaston on average have been affected in the following ways as a direct result of policy choices by the Conservative Government:
77% are experiencing more expensive energy bills
74% are paying more for fuel
58% are paying more for transport
26% have lost income due to Univeral Credit cut
Preet Kaur Gill MP said, “I have written to Rishi Sunak to plead with him to take urgent action. I know the current picture in my constituency, and it is horrifying. People in our society shouldn’t be left to suffer like this and what’s worse is we know that the situation is only going to become more severe.
“The Government is hammering working families to the point where it’s now expected that one in five people believe they will fall into debt that they cannot repay. Fuel and energy prices are set to continue to rise to the point where it’s no longer a question of simply managing money and tightening their purse strings. I’ve spoken to residents who have told me about some of the really tough decisions that they’re having to make on a daily basis; including deciding who in their families gets to eat that day.
“I’ve been hearing what financial experts, like Martin Lewis, have been saying on this crisis and it’s clear we need to see urgent intervention from Government. With energy prices rising by 54% in a few weeks and it is likely we’ll see bills increase by a further 25% in October. Government must take action. It simply isn’t good enough to force the country to take a £200 loan from them as it won’t solve the issue.
“Labour has an energy security plan that will use a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas producers to cut 9 million household energy costs by up to £600, and £200 for everyone else (not on a loaned basis). Then as part of its longer-term strategy, Labour will improve the energy efficiency of 19 million homes over a decade would cut UK gas imports by 15% and save up to £400 off the average energy bill for families. We would also invest in longer term nuclear energy and offshore wind.”
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