Alex Sobel has condemned the Government’s lack of response to the cost of living crisis saying that valued community organisations will be left to ‘pick up the pieces.’
The Member of Parliament for Leeds North West has spoken following the news that the Energy Price Cap has increased from £1971 to £3549 per year.
The Government has yet to respond with any plan, choosing instead to wait for the new leader of the Conservative Party to be elected before committing to any action.
Alex said “I am receiving unprecedented amounts of correspondence regarding the cost-of-living crisis. Many people are struggling or beginning to struggle, due to spiraling energy prices, increased fuel and food prices along with a huge rise in interest rates. The situation is looking like it will get worse, especially over winter with spiraling energy costs.
Right now, millions of people, including young families and pensioners won't be able to afford to turn the heating on at all.
I am disappointed in the level of support the government has offered to help with this situation and their refusal to look at further help until a new leader of the Conservative party has been selected. This Tory government seems content on letting giant oil and gas producers make huge profits whilst working people and pensioners suffer.
Further help should already have been announced so that the necessary work of updating relevant computer systems, such as the universal credit system could have begun.
I am however pleased that Labour have announced our plans to help with the cost of living crisis and energy crisis. We would stop people’s energy prices going up by freezing the price cap which would save the average household around £1000. We would pay for this by taxing oil and gas producers on their excessive profits, getting rid of loopholes the Tories were happy to wave through. This plan will also bring inflation down, making future interest rate hikes less likely and easing the burden on households and businesses.
But we need to solve the energy crisis for good.
In Government we would insulate every home that needs it to get bills down with our Warm Homes Plan, after 12 years of wasted opportunities and failed schemes.
And we’d get Britain off expensive foreign gas - by investing much, much more in home grown, cleaner energy such as solar, wind and hydrogen.
That is the only way to make sure we never again face an energy price crisis like this.
I would say to all my constituents who are struggling to reach out to local community organisations.
There are many great ones such as Otley Action for Older People, OPAL, OWLS, and many more as well as our local foodbanks and citizens advice. These services offer a lifeline to people and will be the ones who are picking up the pieces after government inaction. My office is also available to anyone who needs urgent assistance. “