Energy prices are estimated to rise dramatically, hitting families, pensioners and businesses hard. Currently the country is on hold while this zombie government install a new PM and tease us with what ‘their’ plan will be over these extreme energy increases.

In the meantime what are our local councils doing in preparation in the face of this incoming cost of living crisis – and are they pressing the government for emergency support?

I have asked the council the following questions;

“Are Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council doing anything locally to support struggling residents and local businesses who will be impacted by huge energy cost increases and the cost of living crisis, over the winter and beyond?

“Are RCBC writing to the government to request an immediate Cost of Living Crisis Emergency Plan and providing them with an estimation of the amount of funding required to support our people?

“What is the estimated funding RCBC needs to mitigate the expected shortfall between incomes and outgoings?

“Is there any consideration by the council to temporarily reduce or remove the percentage of business rates collected by them, in order to assist businesses who will be hit by soaring energy costs and at the greatest risk of closure?

“While we wait for the government to finish dithering and king-making, are there any grants available to help businesses that won’t survive the energy cost increases this winter?”

In Redcar and Cleveland we need a champion in our corner and I fear we don’t have one pushing for the vital help that’s going to be crucial in the coming months. These questions need positive responses. Local government must get prepared and our MP should be pressing them for answers.

As our MP is Jacob Young holding the government to task and requesting financial support for RCBC?

Has he written any official letters for example to Kwasi Kwarteng MP, The Secretary of State at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial or Greg Hands MP, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, asking them to help our people get the best chance of surviving the energy costs this winter and beyond?

Has he requested any data from RCBC to determine what the council needs to support our vulnerable residents and businesses? Has he asked the council, what they are doing in any case to help our people.

I asked him what he was doing about the impending crisis but fear he is sat on his hands waiting for his government to catch up. He should be pressuring them for support now.

I messaged Jacob about this but all I have received back, in way of a reply, was a screenshot from his Facebook page by passing of the buck to the future PM. Displaying concern is not action! Sadly it is not good enough!