Press Story

Zoë Billingham, director of IPPR North said:  

“The Chancellor’s announcement today was needlessly delayed, causing hardship and anxiety for millions. Although well overdue, it’s right that he’s listened to our calls to return to Parliament and do more to support people with the soaring cost of living and has introduced targeted support through the benefits system supported by a windfall tax.

“The government’s flagship levelling up agenda is under grave pressure from our cost of living crisis. After years of centralised decision making, the resilience of regions like the North – a place with already some of the highest fuel poverty rates in the country – has been eroded. Today’s measures are helpful sticking plaster.

“Now that the sticking plaster is being administered, it’s time to act to tackle the root causes of the cost of living crisis and financial precarity of so many. We need a longer-term commitment to shore up the incomes of our lowest earners and further measures to reduce living costs, including by retrofitting homes to help build resilience now and for the future. The government can no longer afford to do economic policy by crisis and instead needs to build resilience back into our economy.”

ENDS 