Ed Miliband promises to tackle ‘cost of living crisis’

Labour leader Ed Miliband vowed to take action on the “cost of living crisis” on Saturday, ahead of his party’s annual conference which is currently underway in Brighton.

Miliband told crowds that the prime minister “refuses to act” against the rising cost of living and falling wages, adding, “He stands for just a privileged few at the top.”

“It is wrong that millions of people in our country are going out to work unable to afford to bring up their families”, Miliband said.

“The labour government will put it right. We will strengthen the national minimum wage. We will make work pay for the workers of Britain.”

He said that low paid workers and the “squeezed middle” were facing rising costs of living, and claimed that in 38 of 39 months of the Cameron premiership, prices have risen faster than pay, meaning that living standards have fallen and working families are struggling more than ever.

Last week, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg pledged to fight the corner of low paid workers, saying that if elected in the 2015 general election, he would raise the tax allowance so that those on the national minimum wage did not pay any income tax.

Meanwhile, some claim that due to welfare reforms implemented by the coalition since 2010, we are seeing the emergence of a working poor.

The Citizens’ Advice Bureau announced last month that there had been a 78% increase in food bank enquiries across the UK.

Conservative MP and education secretary Michael Gove was criticised by Labour after comments saying families turn to food banks because of “poor financial management”.

 Further reading:

Citizens’ Advice reports 78% increase in food bank enquiries

Why food banks are necessary in modern society

Poverty drains the brain, says study

Lib Dem leaders vow to fight for workers’ rights

Michael Gove food bank comments ‘a smack in the face’ to struggling families