Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2026 4:39 pm 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.