ON January 14, the Tory MP for Weaver Vale had the chance to help all those families in the Northwich area who feel they have been ripped off by energy companies under this government.

Labour moved a bill in Parliament to give the energy regulator the power to cut energy prices when wholesale costs fall, and take immediate action to ensure the full reductions on wholesale costs are passed on to all customers.

The Tory MP here voted against it.

He had the opportunity to abandon his opposition to fixing our broken energy market and vote to bring in new powers for the regulator to cut bills and force energy firms to pass on savings.

He failed to take that opportunity and I think the voters of Northwich need to know why.

Local people who have felt let down by the Tory-led government’s failure to take action on the energy companies have signed up in their droves to Labour’s energy price freeze petition.

The next Labour government is committed to making big changes in our energy market freezing energy prices until 2017 so that bills can fall but not rise.

But consumers need action now. This could have commenced with a vote in the House of Commons to fast track legislation.

Julia Tickridge Prospective Labour candidate for Weaver Vale