Chesham and Amersham MP Sarah Green writes: To say that we have lacked stable government in recent months is something of an understatement.
In my last Letter from Westminster I urged the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, to outline a plan to fix the damage he had done to the economy.
By the time most of you read it, Kwarteng was Chancellor no more.
Today, I write in the knowledge that by the time this edition is printed the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will have outlined his Autumn budget, changing the political and economic landscape once again.
Amongst so much uncertainty, one thing is sadly clear.
Many will struggle to make ends meet this winter. The impact of this economic squeeze is already tangible locally.
Last month our NHS trust declared a critical incident due to sustained pressure on their staff and services.
Local schools and concerned parents are worried about the lack of funding for education, fearing they will be forced to reduce staff numbers and cut back on the services they offer our young people.
Responses to my cost-of-living survey this summer revealed families lighting their homes with candles, parents skipping meals to make sure their children eat, and individuals spending life savings on energy bills.
I was concerned by the number of residents reporting social isolation as a direct consequence of efforts to cut costs.
The repercussions of this crisis are far-reaching.
Yet our government have spent months in chaos, failing to outline a plan to support those in need.
Their actions have only worsened the economic situation, with the Resolution Foundation finding that Truss and Kwarteng’s mini-budget cost our country £30 billion.
While the government have now presented an economic plan, it cannot undo the deep harm their damaging policies and months of uncertainty have done to families, businesses and pensioners here in Buckinghamshire.
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