Most of us have been feeling the effects of the recession. The extortionate increases in rail fares have bitten hard for many Stevenage residents. Fuel increases affect everyone, car owners or not. Food price increases have hit all our pockets, as has the VAT increase.
But the Government’s economic policy has had a disproportionate effect on people with lower and fixed incomes. The Tories tell us that we’re all in it together. No, we’re not. For many families, older people and people with disabilities, the effects are far more hard-felt.
No government anywhere can just wave a magic wand and make it better. But I want to make sure that the next Labour government understands the impact of economic policy on families, women and older people. That we reward hard-working families, but without penalising people who, through no fault of their own, cannot work.