“Over two thirds of voters would support the introduction of limits on the costs of everyday food items such as milk, eggs & bread in supermarkets.”
We’re in the middle of the deepest cost-of-living crisis in generations, which has become a permanent cost-of-living emergency for millions. Yet the whole political establishment seems intent on never-ending austerity.
As a new Government approaches, we need to mobilise for policies that could address the depth of the crises we face, including the 10 Workers Can’t Wait demands. To help build this campaign initiative, we are publishing a daily blog on the importance on each of these demands. Today Ben Hayes looks at the demand to control costs, including through energy price freezes at April 2022 rates, plus capping rents and basic food costs.
After over a decade of austerity policies, the living standards of millions in Britain had already been decimated. But increases in costs of basic essentials over the last few years have taken even greater numbers of people beyond their financial breaking point.
The combination of dramatic price increases has been devastating for many. With energy bills up 39% from the winter of 2021, March of this year seeing the highest rise in British rents since records began, and food prices still up 32% compared to three years ago, there has been an absolutely ruthless squeeze on incomes- making a lifestyle where even our most fundamental needs of alone are met an increasingly expensive one. When you consider the impact of these trends, and the removal of much of the government support introduced after the outbreak of the pandemic, it is sadly unsurprising that more than 1 in 5 people are estimated to be living in poverty in Britain this year.
We need a response which addresses the scale of this crisis: that’s why the Labour Assembly Against Austerity has included a call for action to bring down energy bills, food prices and rents as part of its ‘Workers Can’t Wait’ campaign.
As insufficient as the current energy price cap has been, the fact that it exists at all is an example of how government policy on this can be influenced by mass pressure. To take the example of a previous general election campaign in 2015, the modest proposal put forward by the then leadership of Ed Miliband was decried as ‘Marxism’ by David Cameron (and also renounced during Chris Leslie’s short subsequent stint as Shadow Chancellor). Within four years, overwhelming demand for the government to at least be seen to be protecting the interests of the public ensured that a cap was introduced.
It’s clear that there is a growing mood for interventions with some real substance behind them to stop the trend of ever-increasing prices. Polling within the last 12 months found that over two thirds of voters would support the introduction of limits on the costs of everyday food items such as milk, eggs and bread in supermarkets.
The two main front-benches may not understand how desperately millions need action immediately to control ever-increasing costs at a time of spiralling poverty, but the majority of the public clearly do. And whilst some will say such policies are unrealistic, but in fact in the areas of energy and food a number of European countries have moved to impose price caps in some way in recent years.
Furthermore, just this month Ipsos found that 71% want to see rents capped in line with inflation, despite the lack of voices on either frontbench championing either of these policies in recent years. It’s clear that public patience is rapidly running out with a model which has allowed those making profits from people’s basic needs to run riot.
The route forward is clear. As the ‘Workers’ Cant Wait’ demands point out, we can control costs through “energy price freezes now at April 2022 rates, cap[ping] rents and basic food costs,” and also stop the corporate rip-off through “public ownership of energy, water, transport, broadband and mail to bring bills down and end fuel poverty.”
It’s vital that we tap into popular sentiment and ensure that the justified anger felt across the country on this issue is channeled into a movement for real positive change.
The call for serious action to protect living standards against the rip-off culture encouraged by a fundamentally broken system should be amplified in this election campaign and beyond as part of arguing to an end of austerity for good. Workers can’t wait – organise for real change now!
- You can find the Worker’s Can’t Wait demands – and join over 22,000 people in support here.
- We’re publishing a series of articles for each of the Workers Can’t Wait demands, you can find them as they are published here.
