8 September 2008
Alok Sharma, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Reading West, and fellow Conservatives launched a local petition calling on the Government to take immediate action to help those hit hard by the rising cost of fuel and energy bills.
Launching the petition on the Oxford Road in the Reading West constituency, Alok commented: "Energy bills and fuel prices have been rising at an alarming rate and the Government needs to take immediate action to help those hit hard financially, especially pensioners and hard pressed families. The Conservatives have over past weeks put forward credible proposals such as the Fair Fuel Stabiliser, a radical new plan to soften the impact of future fuel price rises, and also announced plans to reform the Post Office Card Account and potentially reduce the energy bills of up to four millions people by £100. Unfortunately we have seen no credible action to date from the Government to help those hardest hit by rising living costs. Local Reading people clearly want some action from the Government and the response to the petition has been very good."
Alok Sharma continued: "The Government's recent announcement on housing clearly demonstrated that they have run out of ideas since most families will not be helped by the proposals and with the OECD predicting a recession in the UK in the second half of 2008, the fact is that if Labour had set aside money in the good years they could now have afforded a more substantial package to help many more families and pensioners. Sadly, Gordon Brown was not as prudent during his time as Chancellor as he would have us believe. We will be taking this petition up to Downing Street to hammer home the message from the people of Reading to the Prime Minister on his own door step."
Launching the petition on the Oxford Road in the Reading West constituency, Alok commented: "Energy bills and fuel prices have been rising at an alarming rate and the Government needs to take immediate action to help those hit hard financially, especially pensioners and hard pressed families. The Conservatives have over past weeks put forward credible proposals such as the Fair Fuel Stabiliser, a radical new plan to soften the impact of future fuel price rises, and also announced plans to reform the Post Office Card Account and potentially reduce the energy bills of up to four millions people by £100. Unfortunately we have seen no credible action to date from the Government to help those hardest hit by rising living costs. Local Reading people clearly want some action from the Government and the response to the petition has been very good."
Alok Sharma continued: "The Government's recent announcement on housing clearly demonstrated that they have run out of ideas since most families will not be helped by the proposals and with the OECD predicting a recession in the UK in the second half of 2008, the fact is that if Labour had set aside money in the good years they could now have afforded a more substantial package to help many more families and pensioners. Sadly, Gordon Brown was not as prudent during his time as Chancellor as he would have us believe. We will be taking this petition up to Downing Street to hammer home the message from the people of Reading to the Prime Minister on his own door step."
