The cost of food, medication and the Coronation and the priorities of politicians are all mentioned in the Tameside Radio presenter's latest column.
Should we care that our Prime Minister is minted? I for one am not particularly bothered, but it was certainly a bad look in my book when Rishi Sunak unveiled measures designed to cut the scramble for GP appointments, and opted to travel to Southampton using a taxpayer-funded helicopter rather than take a 75-minute train journey.
Would it really have been difficult to take his ministerial boxes onto a train? It certainly plays into Keir Starmer's hands, with recent jibes about the cost of heating Sunak's swimming pool at PMQs, when to most of us a loaf of sourdough is a decadent purchase.
It's not the first tone deaf moment when it comes to the cost of living crisis. Politicians in the past have been quoted as saying food banks are to be celebrated. They do great work, but my goodness I wish we didn't need a single one in this country.
Hand on heart, I honestly think folk are more worried about the soaring cost of everything than they are about 'stopping the boats' or some garbled nonsense about potholes which epitomised the Tories' local election campaign.
The classic "gotcha" moment in televised grillings with politicians used to be asking them how much basics cost, and watching them grasp for a credible answer. These days, I don't feel a sizeable portion of the Cabinet have a clue what it's like to genuinely worry about whether you can afford to eat or heat the house. You can have money and understanding. Ask Martin Lewis, the Moneysaving Expert founder.
Under the measures announced by the Conservatives, treatments for seven common ailments including earache, a sore throat, and urinary tract infections will be available over the counter at the pharmacist, without the need to first see a doctor. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Expecting the Conservatives to fix this is like expecting an arsonist to put out the fire they started".
I've always found my local pharmacist to be amenable, and this policy change seems fairly sensible, as long as you're not expected to shout your symptoms across the counter. When I went for my Covid booster jab a while back, the service I got was fantastic. The last time I saw a GP, which I'm fortunate to be able to say was a while ago, it felt like I was in a 'beat the clock' challenge. Relieving some pressure on them would be welcome, and any measures that free them up to give a less rushed service has to be worthy of consideration.
Back to food prices, and there is a glimmer of hope with the news that Sainsbury's is reducing the price of its own brand butter by 10p from £1.99 to £1.89. Larger 500g packs of salted butter will cost 20p less. Milk has also fallen a smidge, but there is a suspicion that wholesale price drops are not being passed on quickly enough, much like with petrol prices. It's the so-called "rocket and feather" effect (prices soar like a rocket and fall like a feather).
Food inflation currently sits at 19.1 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics, which is the highest it's been in my lifetime. I don't think those who set policy really understand what it's like to add your shopping up as you go arounnd the store, or have to put items back. Food banks use was soaring in 2022, with 1.3 million emergency food parcels given out between April and September alone. That's a third more year-on-year, and over 50 per cent more than pre-pandemic levels.
Another startling fact is that two million UK households missed or defaulted on a payment last month. Food, energy, rents, and mortgages are all soaring at a rate that far exceeds wages. It feels like the perfect storm, and not enough politicians are offering solutions, or even talking about it. I'm sick of slogans and dog whistle politics. It's clear this has been comprehensively rejected by voters in England, and fresh thinking is required.
The Coronation cost up to £250 million, and I know a lot of people enjoyed watching the pomp and spectacle. Good for them.
Memories of the bunting will have long faded by the time we are next at the ballot box, and we need a bit more than 10p off a loaf of bread to help out in these difficult times. Some detailed, practical solutions are needed, and if we felt politicians understood our lives a bit more, perhaps more of us might be persuaded to turn up and vote.
