Oldham MP asks for residents’ experiences in bid to expose unfair profiteering

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams has asked residents from across her constituency to tell her their stories about how increasing costs from food, energy and childcare to mortgages and rents have impacted on their lives. 

This is the first part of a campaign that Ms Abrahams has planned over the summer, which will be used to highlight the pressures faced by her constituents, in order to demand greater action from the Government on excessive profits.

The local MP has four simple questions:

What are the biggest cost increases you’ve faced over the last 12 months, e.g., food, energy, childcare, travel, and how much were these increases?

What other significant cost increases do you face in the next 6 months, e.g. mortgages, rents, and how much will these increases be? 

Why do you think your costs are going up?

What help have you sort and from whom? What help would you like?

Ms Abrahams has been a long-standing campaigner against unfairness in the UK, and tackling its causes.

This follows on from her work on inequalities as a Public Health Consultant.

It was this that led her to become a Member of Parliament in order to tackle these injusticesand unfairness.

She believes change is possible by making different political choices.  

By the end of the summer, Ms Abrahams, who is also a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, will collate the experiences of her constituents and press for action from the Government and the banking sector in particular, but will also work with local partners on what support can be provided.  

Alongside the call to evidence from her constituents, Ms Abrahams and her team will be conducting research into evidence of‘profiteering’ by key industries including the banking and finance sector.

She will be exploring options to address the apparent escalation in profits that directly relate to the increase in interest rates by the Bank of England, such as a Windfall Tax on Banks. 

Last month, Ms Abrahams wrote to the big UK banks, and the Financial Conduct Authority, to raise concerns about the large discrepancies between the rates the Banks were charging customers for mortgages and the much lower rates they were offering their savers.

Their responses were disappointing and indicate that greater Governmental action is needed to rein in abusive profiteering. 

Ms Abrahams said: "Over the summer I will be campaigning for the Government to introduce measures to reduce your cost of living pressures by taking firmer action on profiteering, particularly in the banking sector. 

"To begin this campaign, I want to hear from my constituents across Oldham East and Saddleworth about the impact of inflation on their day-to-day lives. 

"I have four simple questions I’d really like to hear about, but if you want to add more please do! 

"From rising costs at supermarkets and the petrol pumps to the soaring costs of mortgages and rents - #TellMeYourStory so I can give real-life examples to the Government in my demands for greater action.” 

Residents are asked to email Ms Abrahams at: abrahamsd@parliament.uk, phone on 0161 623 3248 or write to 9, Church Lane, Oldham, OL1 3AN, by August 30. 

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