CAROLINE ANSELL MP: We're working flat out to find support for those struggling

Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell visits the offshore Rampion wind farm

The cost of living continues to be the major concern ahead of winter for everyone in Eastbourne and Willingdon especially following the blistering rise in the energy price cap last week.

Basic essentials also continue to rise on the back of the war in Ukraine and the supply disruption following the pandemic. These are worrying times and myself and my team are working flat out to help signpost local people to support. Targeted support for the most vulnerable clearly is an imperative but many more households will need the intervention that only government can provide.

I also remain very concerned about small businesses across the town who may now face the incredible situation where their energy bills are more than rent. They will need help too this winter if we are to keep many great local businesses alive.

I firmly expect more measures, beyond the £37 billion in government support already committed (and still being rolled out). These measures will be led by the new Prime Minister, and I will be seeking an early meeting with them to champion Eastbourne.

The reliance on others for our energy is a mistake of many decades and many governments of all colours in the making and huge energy bills is the consequence.

Much is now being done to ensure this does not happen again. A new energy strategy has been unveiled with more nuclear, more renewables, especially offshore wind, and increased North Sea gas production to come online as quickly as possible.

Following my trip out to the Rampion wind farm in the summer, I will be actively backing their proposals for expansion. They already power 350,000 homes in Sussex but there is greater potential yet.I will be hosting a solar summit for MPs and sector experts in Parliament later this month. Local work on Eastbourne’s ‘solar rooftop’ potential will come into sharper focus too this September.

These campaigns are all vital to pursue now for the mid to long term future but for this next season, support is needed now and from all sources. On this, I have urged the Liberal Democrat-run borough council to use its cost-of-living emergency support fund to move more quickly to reach local people. This local emergency fund was announced back in May.