Christine Jardine
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West
Jardine: Cancel plans for £500 bill rise in April
Christine Jardine, MP for Edinburgh West, is demanding the UK Government cancel plans to hike the average household energy bill by £500 in April, and bring in a tax on the “bonanza bonuses” of energy bosses.
The Liberal Democrat is calling for cuts to people's bills instead, combined with a new energy support package for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals across Edinburgh West.
In April the Conservatives are planning to hike the energy price guarantee by £500.
The Liberal Democrats plans would mean that in Edinburgh the average household would be £410.40 better off. In total, Edinburgh would save a huge £102,429,849.
Ms Jardine has said new price hikes now will be a “hammer blow” to families and businesses already struggling and that action is needed now to save people from a “cost of living cliff-edge.”
Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have set out their plan to tackle the energy crisis including:
- A windfall tax on energy companies to raise billions of pounds.
- A cancellation of the Governments £500 energy bill rise in April.
- A one-off bonus tax on energy executives.
- Doubling the Warm Homes Discount to £300.
- A U-turn on plans to slash energy bill support for businesses, leisure centres, schools and hospitals by 85%, and instead extend current levels of support for another six months.
Christine said:
“The Conservatives’ plan to hike energy bills in April will come as a hammer blow to families in Edinburgh already struggling with soaring mortgages and rents, shopping bills and tax rises.
“With no plan to deal with this cost of living crisis for people or businesses, this chaotic, out-of-touch Government is instead making it much worse because they just don’t get it.
“People need real support and that’s what the Liberal Democrats are calling for. Sadly, to add insult to injury Rishi Sunak is happy for energy bosses to rake in millions of pounds in bonanza bonuses, while families struggle to put food on the table or heat their homes.
About Christine
Christine is the UK Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West.
Before Parliament, Christine was a broadcast journalist with the BBC and taught journalism at the University of Strathclyde.
Since being elected, she has campaigned on air quality, pension equality for WASPI women, medicinal cannabis, refugees' right to work and the cost of living. She is Vice-Chair of the All Party Group for Choice at the End of Life.
First elected in 2017, Christine was re-elected in 2019.
Edinburgh West speaks up on Cost of Living
Christine has launched a Cost of Living survey to which over 700 households have already responded.
The Lib Dem MP is contacting residents to find out how the crisis is affecting them and what action they want to see from their politicians.
She said: “We mustn’t lose sight of the impact that this is having on real people who are finding the cost of everything from their shopping to energy bills or simply keeping a roof over their families heads getting more difficult by the day.
“This is not just about money markets or the value of the pound; it has a real and direct impact on the lives of families, pensioners and businesses and I want to know what you want your politicians to do about it.
“From the results so far, it is clear that people in Edinburgh West feel that the UK Government is simply not doing enough to ease the burden people are increasingly facing."
