Lancaster MP asks for cost of living feedback ahead of Budget

With the government budget looming next month, Ms Smith wants to hear from her constituents to assist her with her budget representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

"I know that the biggest issue on everyone’s mind at the moment is the cost of living crisis,” she wrote in a letter sent to constituents in Lancaster and Fleetwood this week.

"Mortgages and rents are through the roof, our energy bills continue to rise – with people terrified to look at their smart meter – and the proce of basic fodstuffs on our supermarket shelves is astronomical.

"I am clear that we cannot go on like this. We need urgent action to tackle the cost of living crisis, and we need it now.”

As part of her budget representations, Ms Smith said she wants to see a blitz of planning reform to deliver a boost to affordable housing, alongside the education and health facilities that communities need.

She also wants energy bills permanently cut with clean, homegrown power, and a new fiscal lock to bring economic security back to family finances.

"As I form my representation, I want to know what your priorities are, so the Chancellor is under no illusion what the key concerns are for residents in north Lancashire,” she said.

You can now complete an online form at https://www.catsmith.co.uk/latest/2024/01/29/costofliving/ to help Ms Smith convey her message to the Treasury.