We’re making the right decisions locally and globally to protect our interests

High Peak may be nearly 3,000 miles from Tehran but many of you are rightly concerned about the conflict in Iran.

My team are working closely to help residents with family in the region. British servicemen and women, who are engaged in defensive operations to protect our interests against Iranian attacks, are in my thoughts.

I have long argued that the Iranian regime, with its support for terrorists, stockpile of ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions, is a menace – to its own people, the Middle East and us here in Britain.

But, given the lack of a credible plan and a lawful basis, the Prime Minister was right to decide that we should not join the initial US-Israeli strikes. We cannot send British forces into action when the goals and strategy simply aren’t clear.

The absence of a clear plan has caused energy prices to rise on international markets and residents have been telling me how worried they are about the economic impact of the war here at home.

In Parliament last week, the Chancellor recognised those concerns and took action to address them.

As I wrote last week, the government has cut £150 off the price of energy bills, with those eligible for the Warm Homes Discount set to receive a further £150 automatically. Next month, the energy price cap will drop by £117, ensuring that household bills are pegged until at least July.

But houses off the gas grid and reliant on heating oil face unique challenges. There are nearly 3,000 of these homes here in High Peak, including my own in Hope Valley. Some residents have seen the price they pay for oil more than double since the conflict started.

I understand how frightening such huge increases are, especially for older people and those on lower incomes. Last week, I met with ministers to discuss what more we can do to protect rural households from soaring energy prices. And I am delighted that the Prime Minister has announced a £53 million support package for the worst-affected low-income rural households.

By contrast to the Prime Minister’s clear and consistent approach, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch have both u-turned on the biggest decision a Prime Minister ever has to make. Had either of them been in charge, we would now be embroiled in a war not knowing how to get out of it.

Robert Jenrick, the Tory turncoat that Farage wants to put in charge of the British economy, is no more serious either. The pair rushed up to Buxton last week for a photo ‘op in a garage to make promises about petrol prices that they haven’t a clue how to pay for. As we saw when they hiked council tax in Derbyshire, the only thing cheap about Reform are their promises.

Farage also opposes our long-term solution to unpredictable energy prices. By investing in clean, home-grown energy, the government is boosting Britain’s energy security so, in future, we’re not held hostage to fossil fuel price shocks sparked by conflicts overseas.