Prime Minister Liz Truss must act with urgency to freeze energy costs, says Moray MSP Richard Lochhead
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THE new Prime Minister Liz Truss must act immediately freeze energy prices, claims Moray MSP Richard Lochhead.
He has demanded urgent action from the new PM just hours after she was chosen as the new Conservative leader.
She will officially become Prime Minister on Tuesday and had previously said she would announce measures to support people impacted by the cost-of-living crisis within a week of becoming PM.
Mr Lochhead says one business in Moray faces a 489% increase in its monthly energy bill and many households face increases well over 100%.
A recent study from the University of York found that 72.8% of those living in Scotland will fall into fuel poverty by January 2023 without further action from the UK Government.
Mr Lochhead said: "We now have a new Tory PM foisted on Scotland on the back of the votes of only 81,000 Conservative Party members who is likely to be more right wing and damaging that any of her predecessors and we now need her to lead her zombie government into reality.
“Moray households and businesses are not going to be able to withstand the cost of living tsunami that is heading our way with unaffordable energy bills.
"People are already suffering from high inflation and household bills and local firms are already seeing rocketing costs."
With the average salary in Moray at £23,562, the MSP said there is no way people can afford an annual energy bill of £3549 come October, let alone a potential £ 5390 in January.
The average household incomes for people living in social housing is £17,800 so the situation is even worse.
“Some local shops have told me that they face monthly energy bill increases of nearly 500% which is clearly unaffordable and will force businesses to the wall.
“The new PM’s first act must be to freeze energy prices and stop the increase. In energy rich Scotland, our people and our economy need protected now but we also need urgent reform of the energy market.
“The PM’s in tray is full and her first test is the cost of living crisis.”
