Andy Jinman, Stephen Smith, Nigel Hay and Karen Barratt on the cost-of-living dilemmas that millions of people are struggling with and the lack of adequate help and empathy from a wealthy chancellor
John Harris’s article rightly pointed out that the government “seems split between indifference and paralysed panic” in its response to the “economic calamity being loaded on to the poorest people” (‘Cost of living crisis’? No – this is a social emergency that will define who we are, 3 April). I would argue that its response can be characterised by a mixture of cynicism and inertia that sees it behind the curve on almost every front, not just the cost-of-living bombshell.
Cynicism because Rishi Sunak believes that he only needs to throw a few crumbs to “hard-working” families now and save the real loaf as a pre-election bribe to voters. Surely it must be obvious to voters, as well as to Tory backbenchers, that Sunak simply does not get it? And how could he be expected to, when his family fortune runs into hundreds of millions? If only the government would instead call in Martin Lewis. He does get that the poorest and the vulnerable are suffering the worst right now; he cares about their plight; he would know which economic levers to pull to help; and he would put windfall tax revenue to good use now, not in early 2024.
Andy Jinman
Worthing, West Sussex
