People face a cost-of-living bombshell while wages flat-line this winter.

The Tories talk about levelling up but all people are experiencing is taxes going up and prices going up.

Inflation could hit 7 per cent later this year, National Insurance will rise by 1.25 per cent from April and energy bills may rocket by up to £700 per year.

As you know when you visit your local supermarket, essentials like bread and milk are all up. Fuel prices remain high at the pump.

And Conservative Governments have continued to force up council tax bills to replace their own cuts to council funding. Since 2010, Cheshire West and Chester Council has had an eyewatering £440m taken from its budget.

Meanwhile, rail fares are to rise by 3.8 per cent in March. This, despite an infrequent and inadequate service for my Northwich constituents whose main station collapsed last year and where the far platform will continue to be out of bounds to disabled passengers even after it gets rebuilt!

All told, these prices hikes could mean households facing an average hit of £1,200 a year to their incomes.

And don’t forget lower income families have already been poleaxed by a £20 per week cut to Universal Credit amounting to more than £1,000 a year.

Labour suggests short term financial support to help people through tough times. A windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers could fund measures that would reduce the average household energy bill by £200.

While targeted support to low earners, pensioners and the squeezed middle would save them £600.

We would increase the warm homes discount on bills from £140 to £400 a year for low income households, while doubling the numbers eligible to 9.3 million.

The 5 per cent VAT would be removed from household energy bills for a year from April.

Government has failed to properly regulate our energy market leading to 27 energy companies going bust, with costs transferred to bill-payers.

They made the complacent choice to slash the amount of gas storage, leaving us reliant for supplies on countries like Russia and Qatar.

In the longer term, Labour would reduce Britain’s reliance on imported gas by accelerating home-grown renewables.

And we would ensure 19 million homes are well-insulated, saving households an average of £400 a year on bills and saving the planet too through lower carbon emissions. We have a plan!