[Spoonman]

This is Stride speaking, but it's pure Kemi, apart from having specific numbers in.

But the Conservatives have put out their own list. They say “families will be £913 worse off in 2026”, and they cite these eight factors to make their case.

1) Council tax will increase on average by £111
2) Water bills will increase by £33
3) Vehicle excise duty will increase by £5 for each car
4) TV licence will increase by £5.50
5) Some households will pay £329 more in rent
6) Groceries and basic essentials are set to increase by £362
7) Essentials like broadband are set to rise by £40 over the year
8) Mobile phone contracts are set to rise by £27.60

Tory councils are putting council tax up by the max. How is 1) down to the government? Water bills were going up under Sunak too (who did at least realize that water infrastructure needed paying for, unlike his predecessors in both parties).

I didn't think that the government set broadband and mobile phone prices. I'm in a rural area where we've basically only one very expensive (once the deals stop) provider. But can't most other people get on Martin Money or similar?

Is anyone doing well at the moment?

those on benefits get ever more cash.

Or, as we used to call them, kids.

5-8 is essentially "free market in-action". God forbid for 5 if landlords were to face a rent freeze, while 7 & 8 could be mitigated if mid-contract price rises were banned. Chances of the Tories to even propose anything to help households out on these four areas? Pluuurreze.

[The Weeping Angel]

[satnav]

Wasn't Kemi promoting JCB yesterday? The boss of JCB allegedly owes the taxman the best part of £500m. If Bamford and other tax dodgers paid their fair of taxes in this country there would be plenty of money to support people on low incomes struggling to pay their energy bills.

[Abernathy]

Perhaps the fact that the Bamford family and their firm JCB is one of the biggest donors to the Conservative Party in the whole of the UK might go some way to account for that.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Perhaps the fact that the Bamford family and their firm JCB is one of the biggest donors to the Conservative Party in the whole of the UK might go some way to account for that.

In what way? HMRC went after them while the Tories were in government. They're going a long way back too.

[mattomac]

This is Stride speaking, but it's pure Kemi, apart from having specific numbers in.

But the Conservatives have put out their own list. They say “families will be £913 worse off in 2026”, and they cite these eight factors to make their case.

1) Council tax will increase on average by £111
2) Water bills will increase by £33
3) Vehicle excise duty will increase by £5 for each car
4) TV licence will increase by £5.50
5) Some households will pay £329 more in rent
6) Groceries and basic essentials are set to increase by £362
7) Essentials like broadband are set to rise by £40 over the year
8) Mobile phone contracts are set to rise by £27.60

Tory councils are putting council tax up by the max. How is 1) down to the government? Water bills were going up under Sunak too (who did at least realize that water infrastructure needed paying for, unlike his predecessors in both parties).

I didn't think that the government set broadband and mobile phone prices. I'm in a rural area where we've basically only one very expensive (once the deals stop) provider. But can't most other people get on Martin Money or similar?

Is anyone doing well at the moment?

those on benefits get ever more cash.

Or, as we used to call them, kids.

That just sounds like the increase to Mel Strides cost of living. No one is facing all those increases. I am having a change of phone so I’ll tell you what my increase is but the increase last year was about 11p a month, Rent to go up £329. That’s about right but I moved. That includes water, electricity and council tax mind.

[davidjay]

Broadband's an essential when you're wealthy; when you're poor it's "They can all afford..."

[Tubby Isaacs]

Kemi's response to the 2 child cap being lifted.

The party published what it said was analysis showing that at least £1bn extra every year would go to 186,000 workless households, with a family of two unemployed adults and three children standing to receive a £6,400 income increase.

It added that the gains were heavily concentrated in a handful of cities, with Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Glasgow to receive more than £200m more annually.

“While working people struggle with rising fuel costs and food prices, Keir Starmer is giving another handout to those on benefits,” said the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch.

Luckily poor people don't buy food or use electric.

Did you get the message about where the money is going, btw? Post industrial cities have lots of poor kids in them, not least because of her party, that's the message I take. I'm not sure that's the message they intended.

[Andy McDandy]

"They come over here, they claim all the benefits, they breed like rabbits, three families to a room...".

The 1970s called, they want their racism back.

[Youngian]

Shameless Northern tarts on the rock n roll getting up the duff. While you're out working.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Be interesting to have the figure for Stoke or Newcastle or South Wales or indeed "coastal communities".

[Youngian]

Wouldn't coastal communities be a bit old for that malarkey? unless Robert DeNiro's moving to Skegness.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha.

Clacton seems to have more than its share of poor kids.

[The Weeping Angel]

Good news, everyone, Britain isn't broken.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha. She's one of the most negative politicians I've ever seen.