Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, has slammed the Conservatives for a decade of dither, delay and poor planning on Britain’s energy sector, as families in Bristol South are being made to pay for the Tories mistakes.
To address the immediate crisis, Karin Smyth has said Labour would bring in fully-funded measures now to reduce the expected price rise in April – saving most households in Bristol South around £200 or more.
The Labour Party would also increase and expand the Warm Home’s Discount, targeting extra support to the squeezed middle, pensioners and the lowest earners, saving 19,388 households in Bristol South up to £600 off bills in total, and preventing all of the increase in energy bills currently expected.
Labour would pay for this plan with a one-off windfall tax on North Sea Oil and Gas producers who have profited from energy price rises.
Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, said:
“Families and businesses in Bristol South are facing an energy price crisis after a decade of failed Conservative energy policy has left us deeply vulnerable as a country. Labour wants to stop bills going up and has a plan to keep energy bills low.
“Labour would give families security by taking fully-funded measures to save most households around £200 or more, with extra targeted support through Labour’s Warm Homes Discount scheme for the squeezed middle, pensioners and lowest earners.
“But we need more than short-term relief, Labour’s plans to keep energy bills lower in the future would see an acceleration of home-grown renewables and new nuclear, retrofitting 19 million homes to save households an average of £400 a year on energy bills, and reform our broken energy system.”