MENDIP District Council has become the first UK local authority to declare a cost of living emergency and urged the government to take action to tackle economic hardship, writes Daniel Mumby.

Councillors unanimously backed a motion calling on the Government to do more to halt the drop in living standards.

They are calling for:

A windfall tax on large energy companies;

  • A cut in the standard rate of VAT from 20 per cent to 17.5 per cent;
  • Restoring the £20 universal credit supplement;
  • Restoring the pension triple lock whereby pensions rise by average earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent a year, whichever is highest.

The council wants to organise a cost of living emergency summit with Citizens Advice, food banks, trade unions, chambers of commerce and local MPs.

At the recent council meeting, Cllr Barry O’Leary said: "We all know that people’s wages now are insufficient to pay the bills.

"We’ve all suffered a national insurance hike, that is pushing many low- and medium-wage workers into poverty and into debt.

“Food prices are through the roof, and anybody here will tell you about the massive demand in food bank usage right across our district.”

Cllr Damon Hooton burst into tears while comparing present struggles to those of spiralling inflation in the 1970s.

He said: “In the 1970s, the cost of living was such that it was only years later I found out that when my parents said ‘we’re eating later, kids’, they weren’t eating at all.

“They fed us kids, all four boys, all hungry, all with huge appetites, rather than feeding themselves because of the cost of living. It’s shameful to hear that again.

“I can afford my bills, but there are other people who cannot do that. We have a moral duty to do something about this.”

Cllr Tom Killen said: "The government has decided, whether rightly or wrongly, to try and target the support to those who are in particular need rather than implement ‘blunt instruments’ which we all benefit from, even though we may not require that assistance.”

Council leader Cllr Ros Wyke said: "We are hoping that we can spread the news, and if this motion has cross-party support I would be delighted – because somehow we need to make sure that, in the bowels of the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street, people need to recognise that people are hurting.”