THE Wee County's MP spoke of a mounting sense of panic for people worrying about bills as he attended a conference in Alloa on Monday.

Ochil and South Perthshire representative John Nicolson was at the Challenge Poverty Conference where he spoke with Prof Mairi Spowage of the University of Strathclyde and director of the Fraser of Allander Institute.

In a video message from the conference, Clacks MP John Nicolson said: “The issues that we are talking about today affect Clackmannanshire, but of course, they also affect the whole country.

“I think there's a mounting sense of near-panic for people who are worrying about their big bills and how they are going to pay them.

“The chancellor of the exchequer did a U-turn today (Monday) on the top rate of tax, but that affects very few people in the country.

“But of course, he shouldn't be giving big tax cuts to the very wealthiest, he should be addressing issues for the average family and for the poorest in society.

“And that's what today's conference is about: how we can bring society together, how we can provide answers, how we can face some of the challenges and try and help people with their bills as they worry about today and what the future holds.”

Earlier in the summer, the UK Government has set out details on how households will receive non-repayable discounts on their energy bills this winter.

A £400 discount, administered by energy suppliers, will be paid to consumers over 6 months with payments starting from October.