Fuel allowance is biggest inbox issue, says new MP

Charlotte Cane MP says constituents are really worried about changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance

A new MP says changes to the winter fuel allowance and local housing are the biggest issues in her constituency inbox.

Charlotte Cane, the newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, says the weeks since the general election have been "very busy".

In her first in-depth interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire since her election, Cane described the decision to change eligibilty for the winter fuel allowance as the "biggest shock" of her role so far.

She said concerns about energy bills were a big issue for her constituents, who she said were "really, really worried about how they're going to cope with their bills."

She said she had received some very "distressing" emails from constituents worried about their finances over the winter.

The announcement soon after - that the energy price cap was going to increase - had also added worry, she added.

Charlotte Cane was elected at the general election held in July

Cane also revealed that among constituent concerns were housing - with worries about homes being "too damp" or "too small"

A perception that social housing was "apparently empty" was also deeply frustrating for many, she said.

On the House of Commons as a place to work, the former archaeologist said the surroundings were amazing but not "fit for purpose" as a modern workplace.

She said she was lucky to get a decent size office, but many new MPs were working in tiny rooms, with no room for their staff.

However, Cane revealed that her "most pleasant surprise" as a new MP was learning about a world championship event in her constituency.

The annual World Pea Shooting Competition took place in the village of Witcham on 13 July, just over a week after her election.