Dear Editor,

We are facing a cost-of-living crisis that is turning into a cost-of-living emergency.

Energy bills for an average household, already set to rise to £2,000 a year in April, could hit £3,000 in October, when regulator Ofgem sets the next price cap.

Some of the poorest people will “simply starve or freeze”, that’s according to money saving expert Martin Lewis. We are living in a broken energy market.

Rishi Sunak needs to step up in his budget statement on March 23rd. His current proposals are woefully inadequate. A £200 rebate for energy bills which must be paid back just won’t cut it. At best, it’s simply kicking the can down the road. At worst, it stores up even worse problems when energy prices are even higher later in the year.

Make no mistake, we have yet to see the full ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the energy market. It would be a very convenient excuse for the current problems, but these started months ago.

It’s clear our government isn’t doing enough. In contrast, Labour has comprehensive plans to help everyone, with zero VAT, increasing the Warm Homes discount for the least well off, funded by a windfall tax on the energy companies’ huge profits from this crisis.

There is one way we can make our government do more: send them a message at the local elections and vote for a party that will do more to help people.

And if the government still doesn’t do enough, vote them out of office in the next General Election.

Steve Rolfe

Labour Candidate for Norden ward

Wateridge Road, Oakridge