Cost of living: we’re all paying the price of Conservative failure

When times are tough we expect our Government to take steps to help resolve issues.

But the Conservatives have been so focused on their own internal party bickering that they have taken their eye off the ball – and we are all suffering as a result.

Surrey is a relatively wealthy county, yet residents are not immune from the soaring cost of mortgages and rents. For those looking to get to work in London, season tickets from our towns into Victoria and Waterloo have risen to a whopping £2,500 to £3,000.

If anything, the Conservatives have made our quality of life all the more difficult with their shambolic handling of the economy.

While mortgage payments have rocketed and taxes risen, food gets more expensive every week. The soaring price of energy bills are crippling while fuel costs are hammering our self-employed plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen.

This is affecting many I speak to, so for them it is a worrying time. The Government are so out of touch and have few credible solutions and that is having an impact on all our lives in Surrey. We need a proper windfall tax on the oil companies and to reverse the tax cuts awarded to the banks. We can then continue supporting energy bills and provide guarantees to help people with their mortgages. The winter fuel allowance for the elderly will double if Lib Dems are elected.

We need a local MP who knows how hard things are for people right now and who will fight to get the support our area needs.