18,166 adults in Crawley rationing energy to keep up with debt payments

One year on from the Tories’ disastrous mini-budget, new analysis from Crawley Labour – building on a StepChange survey for BBC Money Box – reveals a staggering 18,166 Crawley adults have to cut back on essentials like heating and electricity to keep up with debt repayments. 29,974 are in financial difficulty, and 11,354 have changed their diet to less healthy options to save cash.

The data comes on the first anniversary of Liz Truss disastrous premiership – and as her successor and former Cabinet Colleague Rishi Sunak resists Labour led calls to ensure none of her team are rewarded with Peerages and honours for the enormous damage they did to working people.

Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate, Peter Lamb said:

“This is the result of the Conservatives’ cost of living crisis. After the 13 years of failed Tory rule people in Crawley are worse off than they have been in years. Last year the Conservatives crashed the economy – and we are still paying the price.

“One in five are now forced to ration essentials to pay bills. A third say they are in financial difficulty, and one in eight can’t afford to eat as healthily as they would like. This is the reality of what the Tories have done to our community. Low growth, stagnant wages, failing public services, and ever rising taxes. It is time for a change.

“Our brilliant local food banks and charities are struggling to meet the growing need, so Labour’s Women’s Group are supporting them with weekly collections around the town. They meet people every week who are desperate and really struggling to make ends meet.

“Only Labour has a plan for areas like Crawley. We would get the British economy moving again–we will make it a central mission of the next government to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7, we will provide stability not the chaos of recent years, and through our Green Prosperity Plan we will help create good new jobs in places like Crawley.”