Sir Edward Leigh accuses Government of ‘crucifying’ elderly with energy bills
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The Government is “crucifying” elderly people with “ever higher” energy bills, Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh has said. The Father of the House made reference to the slogan used by US President Donald Trump – ‘drill, baby, drill’ – and the emissions of China as he raised “the vital importance of cheap energy”.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the “status quo” in energy production is “not fit for purpose” and the UK must “wean” itself off reliance on global fossil fuel markets. During a statement in the Commons on Thursday on Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and Great British Insulation Scheme programmes, the longest serving MP in Parliament criticised the Government’s clean energy initiatives.
Sir Edward said: “I refer the minister to the very last word that she said in her statement that we will ensure that families have lower bills. “Always a problem with insulation in a country with a massively degraded and older housing stock underlines the vital importance of cheap energy.
“But here we have a month with virtually no wind, no sun, ‘green energy’ – so-called – is producing hardly any of our energy. We’re importing energy. We’re stopping drilling in the North Sea. We’re not building gas-fired power stations.
“What of our old people? Their heating allowance is being taken away, and we are crucifying them with ever higher bills. “Meanwhile, China, whose annual increment in emissions is more than our entire emissions, is going on pumping out emissions. ‘Drill, baby’ Trump is pumping out emissions. Why are we crucifying our old people?”.
