Cost of living crisis

The shocking rise in the the cost of living has affected everyone. And with Government support slow to arrive and the latest budget only making things worse, local residents are feeling the pinch.

This government’s policies have led to inflation and increased costs. They have been exacerbated by Brexit’s aftermath, which alone has left the UK economy 5% worse off.

As a small business owner and former Chair of a local community-managed sports and social centre, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Helen Maguire knows full well what it’s like to have to run small businesses at a time of high inflation.

Liberal Democrats will recover from this crisis by:

• investing in infrastructure, innovation, and skills, creating jobs.

• a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas super-profits to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis.

• creating fairer taxes, reversing Conservative tax cuts for big banks.

The Liberal Democrats plan to empower small businesses, reform business rates and so revitalise our high streets.

Conservative economic mismanagement affects us all

For example, Mole Valley District Council, covering part of the Epsom & Ewell constituency and run by the Liberal Democrats, has been actively supporting local businesses. They are pressing to get the banking hub established in an area which no longer has any bank branches.

The Mole Valley Lib Dems are also supporting the establishment of a Business Improvement District to match those in Dorking and Epsom, again to benefit the local economy.

The biggest boost is likely to come from the Transform Leatherhead project, a development to revitalise the centre of Leatherhead.

This is the impact of local Liberal Democrats working for you!

One of my priorities as your next MP will be to improve the support given to small business for the well-being of local communities and the contribution they make to the overall economy.