MPS return to Westminster next week as the tedious never-ending show goes on with a new Tory puppet master ready to take to the stage.

It is looking increasingly likely that Liz Truss will be the new prime minister. A summer of Conservative leadership hustings – that seem to have got darker and more twisted the longer they have gone on – has seen both candidates pander to the Tory faithful with cruel ideologies and right-wing rhetoric taking precedence above all else.

After all of that carry on, we will know who the new PM is next week but we are still none the wiser as to how this complete wreck of a UK Government intends to go forward through this crisis.

People are genuinely terrified as to how they are going to get through the coming winter as the cost of living crisis hits people’s pockets. Energy bills are outrageous, rising by 80% in October and expected to rise again at the beginning of 2023.

Food prices are ridiculous, with essential items doubling in price in some cases, and all the while a real living wage seems beyond the mental capacity of those pulling the purse strings.

Those most in need will suffer the most as food bank usage rises through the roof, while plans for warm spaces begin to be established in local authorities all over Scotland.

READ MORE: Imagine what Scotland could achieve without being hindered by Westminster

In the long term, more businesses will begin to suffer and close down. We are all still recovering both economically as a country and mentally as human beings from a two-year pandemic that has turned everyone’s world upside down. This winter is going to be really tough if the status quo remains.

The UK Government basically left all these really pressing issues to rot and decay in the sun. While governments all over Europe bring in measures to combat the rising energy prices and deal with the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ours packed its bags for the summer.

The “zombie” government couldn’t be more accurate. They are the walking dead, slowly creeping along towards a General Election, destroying everything in their path before it’s too late, infecting people with their rancid policies and eating away at their dignity.

The Tories are not giving any reassurance that whoever takes over next week will take any action to divert families across Scotland from suffering over the coming months.

The Government has failed in its duty to keep citizens safe. It is important to say that there are people who are fighting every day against this disgusting state of affairs that the UK Government has gotten us into. Whether it’s charities, organisations, volunteers, other local residents, or politicians, people are there to assist through this winter.

If ever there was a time to look at what the future holds and make a decision about where we want to go as a country it is now.

To stick with my walking dead analogy for a moment, I want to get as far away from the horde as I possibly can.