Rising Fuel and Energy Costs

I stand firmly with the many constituents who have written to me against President Trump’s illegal military action in Iran. The conflict has been dominating Westminster. The Liberal Democrat position is clear: we may oppose the Iranian regime and support the defence of UK citizens and troops across the Middle East, but we must not be dragged down a slippery slope into an escalating war. Any military action must be scrutinised and voted on by Parliament to ensure it is truly defensive. Above all we must not do anything, and at the time of writing I am thinking about the deployment of British ships, just because Trump has told us to. Our Parliamentary motion tabled this week confirms this, and reiterates our call to cancel the King’s upcoming state visit.

But closer to home, I know the conflict is having a very real impact on families and businesses here in North East Fife. Almost 15% of homes are off the gas grid, relying on either LPG or heating oil. Neither market has consumer protections, and I know there are people facing costs of twice more and over. No one should face taking on debt to stay warm. I have raised this in the Chamber and on BBC Politics Scotland.

Emergency cash support is of course welcome, and I have written to the Scottish Government to ask that LPG customers be included in the emergency heating oil scheme starting next month. But these are short term fixes and still take time to put into place. The Liberal Democrats want to see an immediate zero rating of VAT on heating oil to help those households immediately.

Then, over the long term we would develop a price cap for off-grid homes to provide similar protection to the energy price cap. The conflict in the Middle East is dominating attention now, but in an increasingly unstable geo-political landscape families deserve the peace of mind of knowing they will be protected from market volatility and price spikes whatever is coming down the line.

Domestic energy costs aren’t the only casualties of the war – I’m deeply concerned about the impact on fertiliser prices for farmers and diesel for the fishing industry. I’ve asked questions of the Government on both these vital issues and was disappointed that the answer side-stepped the question. As a result, I have pushed the Government for clarity. You can read more about it here. Fife has a long fishing history, still offering employment – and delicious produce – today. Meanwhile we know just from stepping outside of our front doors that agriculture is everywhere. Farming and food production are huge employers – and of course we all want affordable food on our tables. The Government must take steps to protect our vital industries throughout this war and beyond.

A crisis like this reminds us strongly of the value of our community organisations. I want to thank the incredible staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice, Cosy Kingdom and St Andrew’s Environmental Network  who I know offer advice and support all year round. Please do reach out for support if you are one of the off grid households struggling with price rises.