68% of people in poverty are in work says Jim McMahon

Date published: 19 May 2022


In the House Of Commons this Thursday (19th May) the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs called out the Government and shamed them for not doing more to help with the rising cost of food in the midst of the Conservative Cost of Living Crisis.

Speaking in the Chamber during an Urgent Question on food price inflation, the Oldham MP said, “And what intervention has the Government actually made in practice? 'Take the bus for a ride for the day to keep warm' 'Try and live off 30p a meal' or 'Do you know what, just work that bit harder and you'll be fine'.

“Well let me tell them the number of working people in poverty is the highest since records began. 68% of people in poverty are in work! Working is not a route out of poverty after 12 years of this rotten Government.

“I see it in Oldham, people who are coming for food parcels now are not in temporary crisis, but permanent crisis, in debt! They're wearing NHS uniforms, coming to collect food parcels to put food on the table.”

“The Government seem to be oblivious to the cost of living crisis that people are facing and they can reel off the stats all he wants but working people know, when they go to the supermarket the price of almost everything they're buying is going up and up and up and all the Government do is to spectate and commentate from the sides.”


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