I have struggled to contain my anger since Ofgem announced the latest increase to the energy price cap – now a staggering £3549 a year.
These bills – and the Government’s failure to act, are inhumane. This is a national emergency and it has a moral duty to act now.
Everyone across Britain will now be feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis.
Alongside rising energy bills, petrol prices continue to rise and the supermarket shop is getting more expensive.
Families are struggling to cope. Businesses don’t know how they will survive.
This is not a minority issue, it is a majority issue with millions being plunged into poverty. Without urgent action people will lose their lives.
While energy firms are posting record profits, consumers face soaring costs. That is unforgivable.
It may seem unimaginable but things are likely to get worse with the Bank of England now saying inflation could top 18 per cent.
In the face of this crisis, the Tory Government has gone missing and instead we are being subjected to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss touring the country as some kind of Margaret Thatcher tribute act.
This zombie government needs to wake up now. This energy price increase needs to be scrapped and bills frozen. That will save families over £1000, but also help to bring down inflation.
We also need to impose a windfall tax on the excessive profits of the energy companies, with that money distributed to consumers instead.
It’s right that we all demand more from the UK Government but there is action we can take in Scotland too to help.
Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP Government must be more than just commentators on this crisis. They have power and a responsibility to act too.
Instead of using the powers of the Scottish Government to help those in need, the SNP Government has returned to the politics of grievance.
There is so much that we could do now in Scotland to help those in need if only we had the political will.
Alongside our demands of the UK Government, Scottish Labour has published an Emergency Cost of Living Act that details what more we can do here in Scotland if we are serious about helping.
Our plan sets out areas where Holyrood can act urgently to help people now – and it could be passed as soon as the Scottish Parliament returns next week.
It includes an emergency rent freeze to help hard-pressed tenants, a halving of rail fares and capping bus fares to cut the cost of commuting, a £100 rebate on water charges for every household, funding for debt advice agencies, a business support fund to help firms that are struggling and more money for families most in need.
With a proper emergency budget review we can stop SNP Government waste on pet projects and failed programmes and instead make sure every penny we identify goes to helping people get through this crisis.
People across the country are understandably anxious and angry. We need a response that matches the scale of this crisis.
I’m turning my anger into action because the Scottish Labour Party I lead will always be on your side.
EVERYONE LOSES WITH THE TORIES
By the time I write my next column, we will have a new Prime Minister. This dire Tory leadership contest will finally be over, and we will know which candidate’s outlandish promises and divisive rhetoric won out.
But whether it’s Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss, we still won’t have a fresh start.
We still won’t have a Prime Minister with a plan to tackle the cost of living crisis, and we still won’t have a government capable of building a stronger and fairer UK.
Instead, we are stuck with more of the same. No matter which candidate wins, we all lose.
Both candidates stood by Boris Johnson while he degraded public office and shredded the fabric of the UK.
They put their self-interest ahead of the national interest and made excuses for him while he treated the public with contempt.
They are complicit in all the same lies, corruption and failures.
Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak? It doesn’t matter. It’s just Boris Johnson with neater hair, but without the jokes.
I don’t want to just keep opposing this rotten Tory Government, we need to replace them. Only Labour can offer that. That’s why I can’t wait for a General Election - so we can get the fresh start our country needs.
BIN STRIKES
Over the last week, we have seen a deliberate attempt to mislead the public about waste strikes across Scotland.
This is a national dispute caused by a decade of SNP cuts to local communities - six billion pounds taken from communities across the country.
It’s right that we demand fair pay for workers but we also need fair funding for our local communities.
I know who’s side I am on.
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