This week, Chris Evans MP spoke in the debate on the Budget following the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP’s statement in Parliament.
Mr Evans raised the Government’s mismanagement of a number of issues contributing to the cost-of-living crisis, including rising energy costs, mortgage and rent prices and food prices.
The Member of Parliament for Islwyn also highlighted how these issues are affecting his constituency, citing statistics from the Trade Union Congress and Action for Children who, respectively, found in Islwyn that 1 in 5 people have missed a meal or gone without food during this crisis and 4,578 children were living in poverty in 2020.
On the day of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, Wednesday 15th March 2023, Chris Evans MP said:
‘Whenever a minister is asked what the government is going to do about the cost-of-living crisis, the reply is often ‘we are taking tough decisions.’ We already know the tax burden is at its highest level ever, whilst inflation runs at 10.1% and interest rates stand at 4%.
This begs the question, just really who is bearing the brunt of these tough decisions?
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It is families who are paying the price, and this appears to be a theme across all parts of the government’s economic plans.
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We desperately need urgent support to be targeted at the hardest-hit households, plus an investment in skills, infrastructure and business finance to rebalance the economy away from growth based on consumer spending fuelled by rising house prices towards business investment and exports.
After 13 long years, the Government can be characterised by low growth, low wages, higher prices and Government waste. Frankly, it is time for a change. This country deserves better.’
