It’s not just households at risk from the energy crisis. Businesses recorded net losses higher than ever recorded last quarter. More firms could be forced to close without urgent action. Small businesses are being particularly hard hit. Analysis by my team this summer showed that there were a record 20,200 fewer businesses in the second quarter of this year – the largest loss in this period since records began. Shops, cafes and pubs risk going to the wall because this government has failed to get to grips with the energy crisis, as I told The Guardian.

As I told Talk Radio, Labour has a plan to meet the scale of this crisis:

• Slash costs for small businesses by raising business rates relief to £25,000
• Keep production going at energy-intensive industries with a £1 billion contingency fund
• Freeze domestic energy bills so that households can continue to afford goods and services
• And we have consistently argued against the Tories’ rise in National Insurance which is costing business £7 billion this year

The Government must stop dragging their feet and implement Labour’s plans to tackle the energy crisis.

Also on the Shadow Business Secretary front, amid postal strikes, Angela Rayner and I met with CWU General Secretary Dave Ward.  It’s clear this dispute could be resolved but CWU members understandably want assurances about the future of Royal Mail and its commitment to public service and the Universal Service Obligation. Posties are essential workers. Angela and I wrote to Royal Mail asking them to enter further talks and make assurances about the future of the company. You can read the letter here.