WEST Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin writes for the Observer..
I AM sure readers will share my horror at the continuing scenes of destruction in Ukraine. It is a terrible, illegal act of invasion and I have recently met with Ukraine and Polish Parliamentarians to identify what we, in the United Kingdom, can best do to help. The common desire is to help people to temporarily flee the violence, and countries bordering Ukraine have been calling for our support as they help them to escape. Of course, some families are choosing to relocate, and I have been working closely with the Home Office to help local people to get their family members into this country. I’ve also been impressed at the local groups and local people who have signed up to host refugees. The Government is speeding up the process to help thousands more people each day, and I continue to work with Worcestershire County Council which is facilitating the local response through its ‘Here2Help’ website.
War in Ukraine will have a long-lasting human cost, but it will also impact on us too – and in particular, with rising gas and oil prices. The Chancellor announced measures in his Spring Statement which saw fuel duty cut by five pence – a tax cut that will mean the average one-car family will save £100 a year. There was also significant help for lower paid workers with an increase of the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour and doubling of the Household Support Fund to £1 billion. This fund is managed by the local Citizens Advice Bureau, and I urge people who need help to access this fund if they can. To help with all of our rising energy costs, the Chancellor has also confirmed a £9.1 billion package of measures to help now, and a pledge to do more if energy prices continue to rise.
The economy has been badly affected, first by the pandemic and now by war in Europe, and I welcome the Government’s prudent approach to managing our public finances. We have difficult times ahead, but I remain positive that strong local growth will help us to weather the storm well.
