Stockport Express column – May 2022

Inflation and rising living costs have understandably been at the forefront of many people’s minds in recent weeks, and many families I speak to across my Stockport constituency are facing a calamitous drop in their standards of living.

A new report by the Food Foundation has revealed that more than two million adults in the UK have skipped meals for a whole day over the past month because they cannot afford to eat, while the number of people struggling has risen by 57 per cent in the last three months alone. That is completely unacceptable in the sixth richest country in the world.

With household energy bills expected to be hiked again in October, the Bank of England has forecast that inflation is likely to rise above 10% this year, the highest level since 1982.

I’ve been very outspoken on this issue in Parliament, and recently challenged the Government about the ongoing crisis, and in a House of Commons debate asked the Minister to explain to my Stockport constituents how they are going to help tackle spiralling costs.

The Government needs to get a grip of this cost of living crisis and lift people out of poverty, not push more people into it.

I recently spoke in a debate in Parliament about rail services. The rail network around Stockport and south Manchester is among the most congested in the country. The Government has to address that issue to ensure that decades of under-investment is reversed and that people in my constituency and across Greater Manchester have good quality public transport options. That includes improvements to facilities at many stations, including disabled access such as tactile paving at Heaton Chapel and Davenport stations.

Last week I spoke out against McVitie’s considering making more than one third of the workforce at its historic Stockport factory redundant.

Cutting 159 jobs during a cost of living crisis is as shocking as it is reprehensible and the company must engage with Unite and USDAW to safeguard jobs. I will continue to do all I can to push for a successful resolution which protects the future of all jobs at the site.

As always, if you live or work in Stockport constituency and require support with any issue, please do not hesitate to email me at navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk.