A York MP has said residents are already in dire straits due to the cost of living crisis.
Rachael Maskell, the Labour member for York Central, was speaking in the House of Commons during the Queen’s Speech debate.
Ms Maskell was challenging the Chancellor, Richmond MP Rishi Sunak, to do more to help people suffering from spiralling prices.
Today it was revealed that prices are rising at their fastest rate for 40 years. UK inflation has hit 9%.
Ms Maskell told the Commons: “With so much affluence in our country, poverty is political choice. The choice of the Chancellor and the choice of his Government.
“This week in York energy companies cutting people’s energy supply off, landlords evicting people, budgets that don’t balance, poor mental health spiralling and fear gripping people on low wages, ill and disabled people and the elderly.
“This is a choice of the Chancellor.”
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Rishi Sunak saids: “Of course the Government appreciates that global forces are making life difficult for families at the moment and that is why we have brought forward, as we have heard, £22 billion of support this year to help those in work and the most vulnerable in our society, and we stand ready to do more as the situation evolves.
“But that support is part of a broader plan that will grow our economy, encourage investment and create more skilled, more high wage jobs. That is the priority of this Government.”