No single event has impacted on us, collectively, more over the past 12 months than the war in Ukraine. In the past week people in Ukraine should have been celebrating the Russian orthodox Christmas. As the conflict, sparked by Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, rumbles on towards a second, grim year, any celebrations are likely to have been muted. I know the hundreds of Ukrainian refugees living here in Fylde, being supported by local families under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, will have been thinking of loved ones back at home, whose lives have been disrupted in ways we cannot begin to imagine.
The war has, of course, caused significant issues for us all, driving up energy prices and contributing massively to the cost of living increases we have seen. The Government cannot shield households and businesses from the entire impact of these unprecedented events. But there is a huge amount that has been done to see our communities through. From billions of pounds in energy bills support to essential energy subsidies for business, a package in itself worth more than £20 billion, help has been there. In fact there are more than 40 different schemes, providing discounts on childcare, cutting the cost of public transport and helping those in greatest need with their energy bills. Each and every one has been vital. But there is still more to be done, including finalising and delivering a package to support those who do not pay their bills direct to suppliers, like park home residents. I have fought hard for these payments and want to see them in the pockets of people here in Fylde.
While immediate support is crucial, it is important in the longer term to address the causes of these rising costs. That is why I support the Government in its investment in our energy security, including new nuclear generation, providing not only a source of reliable domestic energy but skilled jobs here in Fylde, where the UK’s only civil nuclear fuels manufacturing facility is based. The Government’s £75m Nuclear Fuels Fund is something I campaigned to secure and we are now seeing the benefits, with grants awarded to enhance and diversify the capabilities at Springfields.
The Prime Minister was spot on when he identified his top five priorities, cutting inflation, delivering economic growth, reducing our national debt, cutting NHS waiting times and clamping down hard on illegal immigration. I believe these are also the big issues people in Fylde want resolving and, rightly, the Prime Minister has made clear he will be responsible if the Government does not deliver. But a focus on these priorities does not mean work will stop on other important schemes. A decision is expected this month on the Levelling Up Fund bid to support regeneration in St Annes. With hundreds of millions in additional cash allocated to support Levelling Up schemes, I am doing all I can to support Fylde’s bid.
I do not underestimate the challenges ahead, but with a clear focus and firm plans for delivery, I have confidence in the Prime Minister to achieve his goals.