As others have said, the crisis and the knock-on cost of living, which has arisen because of variables completely outside of our control in this country, have brought us to this point. They have also brought us to the point where we have to collaborate and co-operate, and engage in serious problem solving across the Chamber to try to alleviate the stress, anxiety and financial pressure that everybody is under at this point. There has been criticism of tax breaks. I point out that excise duty on petrol is down by 36%. On diesel, it is down by 47.7%. On green diesel, it is down by 30.8%. Our overheads in northern Europe are not the equivalent of those in southern Europe. Wages, etc., differ by 30% to 50% so we are not comparing like with like. I welcome the pause on carbon tax but at this point, a full review of carbon tax and the proportionality of it and the apportionment of it is required. There are opportunities for us. There was an excellent conversation on EnergyCloud and the targeting of the surplus energy to those in fuel poverty, and I think that is a matter we must examine as a matter of urgency. Accountability and efficiency are required to achieve balanced budgets, going forward. We all have needs and demands. The people who have put us into the House have charged us with those. Whether in respect of education, special education or healthcare, we must remember that budgets are limits and not targets. While we want to give more to people, it has to be done in a balanced manner and with a view to the evolving needs. However, the situation we are in at the moment is an uncontrollable variable beyond this country. It has to be managed on a day-by-day basis to ensure the outcome for everybody.

Sentiment score: -0.01