We are in the midst of a national emergency. Labor would prevent energy prices from rising this winter

It’s hard to imagine after another hot weekend, but it won’t be long before we’ll need to turn up the heat to keep warm on cold winter nights.

But this year will be different as Brits face another stunning surge in gas and electricity prices, giving us all food for thought.

2

2

Already, millions of people – including young families and pensioners – can no longer afford heating.

I will never forget the woman I spoke to in my Leeds West constituency earlier this year who had cold hands and purple fingers because her pension was not enough to pay for the heating.

And that was before prices went up.

People fear how they will make ends meet through the winter with record numbers being plunged into fuel poverty.

And they worry about friends and family who may be struggling more than most.

We are in the midst of a national economic emergency.

But Labor says enough is enough.

It’s our choice. This Tory government can continue to let huge oil and gas producers make huge profits while working people and pensioners suffer.

Or we can do something about it.

Labor would halt the rise in energy prices this winter by freezing the price cap, saving the average household around £1,000.

We would pay for it by taxing oil and gas producers appropriately and removing the loopholes that the Tories were happy to wave through.

This £29 billion plan will also lower inflation, make future rate hikes less likely and ease the burden on households and businesses.

But we must finally solve the energy crisis.

With our Warm Homes Plan, we would insulate every home that needs it to reduce bills.

And we would rid Britain of expensive foreign gas – by investing much, much more in domestic, cleaner energy such as solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear.

This is the only way to ensure that the British are never confronted with such an energy price crisis again.

We’ve had 12 years of Tory government failing to secure Britain’s energy supply, making the bills higher and our country less secure.

Labor’s plan would end price hikes now, reduce inflation and create cheaper, cleaner energy for the future – helping people get through the winter and laying the foundations for a stronger, safer economy.

Only Labor can give Britain the fresh start it needs.