“Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda made combined profits of £3.2 billion in 2021, nearly double pre-pandemic levels – yet peoples weekly shopping bills are facing an annual rise of £881 pound.”
By Kate Osborne MP
Today (March 22nd) at Prime Minister’s Questions I highlighted the record rise in food prices, the highest for 45 years and asked the Prime Minister how he could claim his plans are working when so many people are struggling with their weekly food shop?
Unbelievably the Prime Minister claimed that there are fewer people in poverty and that he will halve inflation… on the day that inflation has once again gone up – this is beyond delusional.
The Tories simply do not care about our communities and are quite happy to leave families to struggle with their weekly food costs – Inflation jumped 10.4% last month – the Prime Minister continues to deny the problem, whilst allowing grotesque profiteering from supermarkets, energy companies and the wealthy few, because it does not suit their political agenda to admit there is a problem.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda made combined profits of £3.2 billion in 2021, nearly double pre-pandemic levels – yet peoples weekly shopping bills are facing an annual rise of £881 pound.
It wasn’t only my question that the Prime Minister gave a delusional response too, he also claimed waiting lists are down and crime is down – it really does lead you to question if he is that delusional or like Boris Johnson at today’s committee, do we need to look into if he deliberately misleading the house?
For the Prime Minister to respond that 2 million fewer people are in poverty since 2010, is both as farcical as it is irrelevant – their own figures show the number of people living in poverty is rising because of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis they have caused. Over the last year foodbanks have seen usage rise between 40 and 50% and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has estimated there are now 13.4 million people living in poverty.
Here in Jarrow and across the North East child poverty has been rising at truly shocking levels.
The Prime Minister cannot continue to deny these problems – our communities are struggling, I am speaking to constituents daily who are unable to get by financially.
We need a government that cares, and the Tories have proved once again they do not.
Poverty is a political choice that this government will make over and over again.
- This article references the contribution made by Kate Osborne MP in Prime Minister Questions on March 22nd, 2023.
- Kate Osborne is the MP for Jarrow and a regular contributor to Labour Outlook. You can follow her on Facebook, twitter and Instagram.
