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Cost-of-living Crisis Spiralling Out of Control - Local MP's Concern at New Figures from Office for National Statistics
The Conservative cost-of-living crisis is “spiralling out of control” as new figures reveal wages have fallen in real terms at its sharpest rate in more than seven years.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that average earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by only 3.8% in the three months to January despite inflation projected to rise beyond 8% in the autumn. This has resulted in wages falling by 1% in real terms - the steepest decline since July 2014.
Gordon MP Richard Thomson has joined with Parliamentary colleagues to call for an emergency package of support for households and businesses in this week’s Spring statement by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Commenting, Richard Thomson MP said:
“The cost-of-living crisis is spiralling out of control, made worse by poor macroeconomic management from the Conservatives - and only the UK Government have the powers required to fix it. The latest ONS statistics are stark - wages are failing to keep pace with inflation, leaving millions of families worse off each year to the tune of thousands of pounds.
“The Chancellor of the Exchequer must use his Statement this week to deliver an emergency package of measures, including changing the £200 energy loan into a grant, reversing the cruel cut to Universal Credit, delivering a Real Living Wage, and matching the Scottish Government’s game-changing Scottish Child Payment UK-wide.
“He must step up to the task before him or condemn millions more people across these islands to further poverty. However, there can be no doubt that for as long as Scotland remains under Westminster control, we will never be able to fully recover. The only way to keep Scotland safe from more callous Conservative cuts is for us to have the full powers needed to build a stronger more prosperous society.”
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