MP's food for thought amid cost-of-living crisis

Argyll and Bute's MP visited Campbeltown last week to raise awareness of cost-of-living support that is available to residents.

 

As well as delivering his new cost-of-living advice leaflet across the town on Wednesday August 30, Brendan O'Hara MP held a surgery at Kintyre Food Bank, offering advice specifically on the challenges facing people and families in this current cost-of-living crisis.

 

Mr O’Hara and his team are hoping to deliver up to 40,000 of his Argyll and Bute-specific advice leaflets across his vast constituency before winter arrives.

 

The leaflet provides contacts details for organisations which are based in the constituency and which are best placed to advise on debt management, benefit eligibility, access to a local food bank, and how to heat homes most efficiently when the bad weather arrives.

 

Commenting on why he felt such an information leaflet was necessary, Mr O’Hara said: “Unfortunately, this Tory-made cost-of-living crisis is not going away any time soon and I fear that it will be people in remote, rural communities, like Campbeltown and the surrounding areas, that will be hardest hit by the rising cost of mortgages, sky-high fuel bills and rampant food-price inflation.”

 

"attachment_1020100" "aligncenter" "300"] Brendan O'Hara MP delivered his cost-of-living leaflets to homes across Campbeltown. Photograph: Kevin McGlynn.

 

He added: “Hardly a day passes without someone contacting my office in a panic about being unable to make ends meet, and I thought that for every person who does contact me, there are probably 100 who do not.

 

“It was that realisation which made me decide that as the local MP, I had a responsibility to the people of Argyll and Bute to contact them to say that there is local help available, and they do not have to face this crisis alone.

 

“It was great to speak to some constituents on their doorsteps and hear about issues that they have been experiencing, whether that is related to heightened energy bills, to food being more expensive in shops or to the lack of affordable housing in the community.”

 

Immediately after his leaflet session, the MP visited Kintyre Food Bank, where he held a cost-of-living advice surgery, to thank its volunteers for their efforts.

 

Mr O’Hara said: “Kintyre Food Bank is an absolutely wonderful organisation with such a dedicated, hard-working team of volunteers.

 

“The food bank is, unfortunately, now a vital asset to the local community and they provide essential support to hundreds of struggling families in Campbeltown and the surrounding area.

 

“I was genuinely humbled to hear about just how generous the people of Campbeltown have been in ensuring that the food bank remains well stocked and able to do its vital work.”