Every reader of the South Wales Argus will be concerned at the spiralling cost of living crisis.

It is exacerbated by a vacuum of leadership at the core of the UK government with a lame duck Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who is in office but not in power.

While both of his potential successors take lumps out of each in an unedifying spectacle the bookie’s favourite, Lynne Truss, is offering give way tax cuts that even former Tory Chancellors of the Exchequer such as Nigel Lawson and Kenneth Clarke deem deeply irresponsible as inflation surges.

The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 1.25 to 1.75 per cent the biggest single rise since 1995, 27 years ago.

We have been warned to prepare ourselves for a 15-month recession with a grim winter ahead for us all.

This at a time when energy bills are set to reach £3,500 a year in October with some analysts predicting they could top £4,000 next January. With inflation now expected to hit 13.1 per cent later this year, far outstripping wage growth, I am greatly concerned about the suffering that my constituents in Islwyn will experience.

As a pint now costs on average £4 in the UK for the first time the news that BP’s profits have trebled to a 14-year high will have shocked people.

BP’s profit jumped to £6.9 billion between April and June. It was BP’s second highest recorded quarterly profit in the company’s history. The lack of regard for ordinary people is staggering as capitalist giants such as BP seem to care solely about their shareholders wants rather than their customers' needs.

In Islwyn I expressed my disappointment recently at the news that the Post Office at the Premier store on Exchange Road will close from October 18.

With every single Post Office that closes there is a reduction in services to the public. People are fed up of seeing their local high street banks and Post Offices close.

It diminishes the offer to the public in our high streets and it diminishes accessibility to services for people.

More welcome news was provided by Persimmon Homes East Wales who have made a £1,000 grant to help bring the Cefn Fforest Miners Welfare Hall back to use.

While I recently met with Celynen South Heritage Group who are progressing plans for a memorial to mark the former colliery’s historic importance to the community.