Visit: Brownings the Bakers

Last week (Friday 26th August 2022) Alan Brown MP was joined by the SNP’s Westminster Leader at Brownings the Bakers in his constituency.

The Westminster representatives met with Brownings Director Matthew Short, CEO of Scottish Bakers Alasdair Smith and Managing Director of McGhee’s Bakery Gordon McGhee.

The MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun was joined by Mr Blackford as they visited the family-run business to discuss the cost of living crisis.

Brownings contacted Mr Brown previously about their energy costs as they have gone from paying £4,000 per week to £11,000 per week before being offered £17,000 per week for a two-year fixed costs contract. The MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun raised the matter directly with Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March but was unsatisfied with the response to his question.

Mr Brown and Mr Blackford have called for the energy price cap increase to be scrapped and for parliament to be recalled immediately.

Commenting, Mr Brown said:

“Brownings is a family-run business synonymous with Kilmarnock and the Irvine Valley. They are a big employer in the area and to hear of the difficulties that lie ahead with the cost of living crisis is heartbreaking.

“I raised their case in Parliament back in March with the Chancellor who palmed it off, as he does. These businesses need real help and not a mere £1,000 tax cut.

“To go from paying £4,000 per week to £17,000 is horrifying and completely unsustainable.

“As is the same with everyone, it’s fuel costs as well. A big part of the business is distribution and the cost of fuel is equally as ridiculous. This is something else I have written to the Chancellor about as I have supported the Road Haulage Association’s plan for an Essential User Rebate of 15p per litre on fuel duty in order to protect businesses in my constituency as well as UK-wide.

“The Tories must stop burying their heads in the sand and recall parliament immediately to freeze the price cap and deliver pandemic levels of support, including scrapping VAT on fuel, doubling help for households, and introducing an energy price cap and grants for small businesses.

”With every day Westminster fails to act, it is proving that gaining the full powers of independence is the only way to keep Scotland safe."

Brownings the Bakers Director Matthew Short added:

"We spend £4,000 every week on electricity, and when our new contract came around that shot up to £17,000 per week. The headline inflation figures of 10 to 12% are not the figures we are seeing; we’re paying 120% more for our vegetable oil than a year ago, 50% more for the meat in our pies, 100% for butter and the list goes on.

"We are right in the middle of Scottish society, we value our role, and we are very close to our consumers, and they’re struggling. The idea of us just passing our costs on to them is not realistic because people will ultimately not be able to afford to eat.

"We’re asking the government to come up with a solution because it’s not just Brownings the Bakers who are dealing with this, and it’s not just bakeries, it’s every food producer in Scotland."

Mr Blackford also added:

"The cost-of-living crisis is growing worse by the day - yet we have a Prime Minister missing in action and two Tory leadership candidates who are refusing to put forward any sort of plan to support people through it.

“Households need help right now - and many businesses are on the verge of closing their doors. They can’t afford to wait weeks or months more, without knowing when, what or whether any meaningful support will come.

"This was made clear on my recent trip to Kilmarnock with my colleague and constituency MP Alan Brown. Brownings the Bakers revealed that their energy bills had jumped from £4000 to £11,000 per week, and Utopia Computers had seen an increase of £7000 per year.

“By refusing to use its reserved powers to tackle the Tory-made cost of living crisis, the Westminster government has abandoned households and businesses. It must now get a grip and stop passing the buck, reverse the energy price cap rise, and recall parliament immediately to deliver an emergency budget that provides the support people need - including scrapping VAT on fuel, doubling support for households, and introducing an energy price cap and grants for businesses."