"THIS notion that the government can wrap its arms around us and save us from every vagary of the modern world is an illusion", said one New Forest MP when asked what the government will do about the cost of living crisis.

The Daily Echo spoke to five MPs across Dorset and the New Forest about how they think the government should tackle the cost of living crisis.

It comes as Ofgem announced that the energy price cap will rise to £3,549 from October 1.

Tobias Ellwood, Conservative MP for Bournemouth East

“What the country wants now is leadership, they want to see a short term solution, that's going to help with the financial pressures and then a long term plan that's going to give us the vision and the confidence that we're going to be able to get through this.

"The short term solution is that we are going to have to have some form of financial support for those on lower incomes and it needs to be targeted support.

"The support needs to go to the people that need it. Reducing corporation tax and things like that won’t ripple through.

"And then in the longer term we absolutely need to be able to generate our own electricity supply.

"So that means greater investment in nuclear energy, greater investment in greener energy, solar panels, wind farms, that sort of thing and greater capacity for gas storage.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Simon Hoare, Conservative MP for North Dorset

“If the government doesn't do something big and meaningful that has a tangible benefit to people in the short term then the government and the Conservative Party is going to be in a very bad place, as far as the electorate is concerned and frankly would deserve to be so.

“This is not a question of whether something is done, but it's what and how, and when.

“The most obvious thing I would suggest is that they either very dramatically reduce or freeze VAT on domestic heating and that's across the board.

“That's not just gas and electric but it also includes heating oil, which of course a lot of households use in the rural parts of the country.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Richard Drax, Conservative MP for South Dorset

“I don't want to predict what a future prime minister is going to say. We've yet to have clarification from Liz Truss if indeed she wins, that help is coming.

“There is already some help in the system and more is promised by both candidates, but until they are chosen it's very hard to predict what they're going to do.

“But clearly we need to do something because the cost of living has got to a point of affecting millions of people, very adversely.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Sir Robert Syms, Conservative MP for Poole

“My guess is that when Parliament gets back in September, there'll be further announcements with more assistance for those that need it.

"The price is going up more than people were expecting, both for individuals, but also for businesses and I think there is an issue here where quite a lot of businesses are struggling with quite large bills.

“I think we need targeted help for those that have the most difficulty with covering bills. I don't think general policy reducing taxation is necessarily going to help those struggling at the bottom end with bills.

“I think that the government's approach has been sensible so far and I suspect it will continue in that regard.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Sir Desmond Swayne, Conservative MP for New Forest West

“This notion that the government can wrap its arms around us and save us from every vagary of the modern world, I think is an illusion that was built by our reaction to the COVID crisis, which frankly was disastrous in my view. And I don't want to go down the same road again, of giving people to believe that there's a lever that governments can pull to solve all our problems.

“It's going to be a hard winter. There’s no getting away from that, there's a war on.

“Whilst we're not being bombarded, we're suffering the huge economic consequences of that invasion.

“Our part is having to live with the price rise, Ukraine has to live with the bombs and people need to get that sense of national urgency and proportion.

“Undoubtedly, there will be a government response, and clearly we've got to come up with something because there are very vulnerable people who are going to be cruelly exposed, but people can't believe that the government can simply borrow money to pay all our gas bills, that isn't going to happen.

"Let's face it, most of us are going to have to cut our consumption in some way or make sacrifices elsewhere.”

Bournemouth Echo: