Energy bills, energy bills, energy bills!

So not growth, growth, growth, or education, education, education, or any other three word emphatic from former prime ministers.

What is absolutely vital we get government to address now is the energy bills of our businesses.

Amidst budgetary chaos, whether mini or maxi or totally repealed, the crucial support that must be maintained for the sake of our local firms and their staff, is the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Conversations are already being had in fraught tones about just who will be priority sectors or firms when it comes to the end of its six month term next March when continuation is planned to be scaled back to just the most vulnerable customers.

How can we prioritise 20 jobs at a football club above 20 at a hotel or 20 at a printers? Energy price hikes at the end of fixed term contracts seem equally to apply to all.

Meanwhile, pressure is being applied by us to encourage ministers to ensure other elements of energy bills are also managed – how can an energy firm handling supply to one of our local business parks justify standing charges rocketing from 83p to over £13.60 – per day? These pipes are not gold plated!

Sometimes, in fact more often than not, it feels like our businesses deliver their expert products and services successfully to their national and global markets, despite the government’s actions, rather than assisted by them. But this time a really crucial part can be played.

I do hope we get a knowledgeable, supportive and above all stable government sometime soon, so they can get back to governing. This costly side-show has gone on long enough!