Opinion: Thank goodness we can always rely on the goodwill of those around us

One positive from the lockdown was the way communities across the country came together to support one another, especially their more vulnerable people.

Thankfully things have been getting back to normal, but sadly we have now been saddled with the cost of living crisis.

However, once again communities are coming together to help people through it.

For the last few months many people have been struggling, with some facing intolerable choices such as whether to put a cooked meal on the table or heat their homes. Many of us will have heard about the elderly lady who chose to spend the day on the bus rather than in her home, because the bus was warmer. Such stories are sadly becoming more commonplace.

It is tragic that a first world country such as ours should be in this situation. Thank goodness we can always rely on the goodwill of those around us to make up for the shortfall of support when our government is found wanting.

It warms the heart through these challenging times that so many people are stepping up to offer support for struggling members of their community. This was particularly evident over the Christmas period when amongst other things food hampers were handed out to families, and dinners were cooked and delivered to homes on Christmas day.

I hope these displays of generosity continue throughout 2023 because it looks like we have another tough year ahead. It’s more important now than ever that people look out for one another in their community.

There are facilities out there available to everyone, so please don’t be afraid to ask your local councillor for help. These include warm hubs, food hubs, community fridges, white good grants and food banks. Peterborough is a city where communities look out for one another

The Green Party is calling for the government to increase the minimum wage, ensure public sector wages keep pace with inflation, and start restoring the real-terms wage losses from years of austerity. Last year the Green Party was the only major party to support the #NHSPay15 campaign to provide a 15% pay rise for all NHS workers.

The party is also calling for a restoration of the £20 uplift in Universal Credit and doubling it to £40 a week, with equivalent increases for those on legacy benefits.

We believe measures to support those on the lowest incomes should be paid for through higher income taxes on the wealthy.

Greens often highlight the increasing inequality which was so apparent during the Covid pandemic. We believe that for the Tory levelling up message to become meaningful it must involve a redistribution of wealth and a boost to the incomes of the poorest members of society.

We fully support the TUC’s call for an increase in wages, with public sector increases being funded by the Treasury. The cost of living crisis is a crisis of income. It is vital that wages keep pace with inflation this year. We also need to see a reversal of the real-term wage losses that took place during the Tories’ era of austerity.

For as long as we have vocational workers, such as nurses having to rely on charity for sustenance, It will remain difficult to see how the government’s levelling up campaign is a serious proposition.