Cost of Living Debate: how bad is it going to get?

The people have their say in our Cost of Living Debate.

We have gathered a wide range of people to talk about how the cost of living is affecting them.

We asked the government and the Conservative Party if a minister or MP would join us but nobody was available. We do have local Tory activists with us who helped turn Darlington from red to blue at the last election. From Labour we are joined by the Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed and we also have some experts in the audience to help with the facts.

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[redalert]

Who could have predicted that voting for politicians who only care about the happiness of the super-rich and the misery of everyone else might backfire in some way?

[cloudyblaze]

Inflation is producing a slew of problems throughout the world, including food shortages, diesel and heating fuel shortages, and housing prices and financial market crash. This global collapse might end up being a part of us for a very long time. With inflation currently at about 9%, my primary concern is how to maximize my savings/retirement fund of about $300k which has been sitting duck since forever with zero to no gains.

[Traveling.contess]

As a health care professional I can tell you that the NHS money is going to the privet sector, an NHS ER nurse get payed 23 Pounds an hour meanwhile an agency nurse in the ER gets 50+ pounds an hour! And every unit have agency nurses and doctors ( Just imagine how much an agency Dr earns per hour) the biggest pay checks goes to the privet sector and that’s why the staff rather work for an agency then the government. This is no secret !

[victorvonderkrausse]

Cut the royals costs and expenses !
We are living hand to mouth and they spend millions in their lavish castels !
Money are money, laws are for everyone, rich need also to be held accountable!

[petefl]

Now being in my three score and fifteenth year when I look back at UK governments of all shades over those years I would say I've never seen the UK governed worse than it has been in the last twelve years.

[breckroadlover]

So cabinet members are "not available" to attend this event and explain their dismal fiscal record, instead relying on teenage Tories barely old enough to vote to defend government policies that they had no input in making and that they seemingly have no clue about. Makes sense.

[grwood]

The same cost of living crisis is happening to us in Australia. I believe a major contributing factor was the privatization of Utility companies of water, power and gas. The government has to
buy them back, as it's in the private companies interest to raise prices. The environmental trend, and the lack of gas due to the Ukraine war hasn't helped also . Household utilities supply should be seen as a necessity for living, not a luxury. Also the government shouldn't always rely on taxes, but reclaim the steady income income from utilities that it used to have.

[crystllclr]

Its time for the people to remind them we are to be feared when wronged and wronged we all have been.

[steve]

I was visiting from America and I initially thought the UK was going to be expensive, but I didn’t know that it was going to be that expensive. Everything costs a fortune and I had to cut my trip short because I simply ran out of money.

[yetidodger]

Tory supporters need to own this catastrophe.

[Marenqo]

We are spending money to fund private companies in the NHS! Why is that bloke allowed to challenge that doctor? Dreadful . Where do they find these people?

[royboy]

Tories answer to economic problems is always the same. Cut public spending, raise taxes of the working man, and sing the song of Austerity. Reeves is right the UK can not afford a tory government.

[tinabraxton]

We cannot afford the rich. That is the problem, everywhere in the world.

[jgnasher]

This is disgusting how some people have to live now....These Tories really have to go, I despise them.

[matthewstratford]

Privatisation of everything was one of the countries biggest mistakes, you can't expect profit organisations to care if you freeze or not, as long as they don't loose too many paying customers.
Also work needs to have value, the handout culture helps no one who could be working. Make work actually worth it.

[LIVERNIL]

Just listening to the first lady from the audience unearth her personal circumstances really is eyeopening and heartbreaking at the same time. How did we get to this in this country? 12 Years of Austerity. We really need this nightmare of a Government out once and for all.

[sunnysparkles]

Universal credit is £334 a month, if the energy cap is £2500 then that leaves around £120 or so to buy everything u need to live for 1 month.
It's a bit difficult 😕

[infoseeker]

being a carer is emotionally and physically breaking and for minimum wage :(

[englishsteve]

Yes more money is going into the NHS but then the NHS is being forced by government to contract with private providers for services that used to be "in house". This means that all that money and more is leaving the NHS as soon as it goes in. The profit making parts have been cherry picked and forcibly farmed out to the private sector who's services cost 2 and 3 times as much. Sunnack went to America to talk with giant US health insurers so we see where this is leading.

[honestjoe]

The Banks gain a tax cut of 5% and no one bats an eyelid. This is the funniest thing out of this entire debat