This Remembrance Sunday in Brentwood saw those on parade marching through a delicate gloom of autumnal mist en route to the War Memorial and St Thomas’.
In a year which has seen war in Europe with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the death of HM Queen Elizabeth, who herself missed only seven Remembrance Sunday events in her seventy-year reign, it was an occasion which was more evocative than ever.
The war in Ukraine continues to impact on so many people in so many ways. Some of those who fled Ukraine earlier in the year have been in the UK for almost six months now, and I know many people in Brentwood and Ongar have welcomed them into their homes and are planning support for the families over Christmas.
The war has also affected many others indirectly through the rise in gas, oil and wheat prices. This, coupled with a world economy already weakened by the pandemic, higher-than-expected inflation worldwide - especially in the United States (US) and major European economies - triggering tighter financial conditions; a worse-than-anticipated slowdown in China, reflecting Covid-19 outbreaks and lockdowns have all conspired to make the cost of living here rise to levels which are making life difficult for many of my constituents.
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is making his Autumn Budget Statement this week. This will detail the UK’s current position, and what the Government is going to do to help those who are most in need, while also outlining clear information for those who are worried by speculation over tax increases, interest rates and inflation levels.
It’s been a tough year, and the Chancellor has been clear that he will ask departments to find efficiencies within their budgets. As the Prime Minister has said, any changes will be taken as compassionately as possible, and will prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.
Photo Credit Ricci Fothergill
