Putney MP blasts her namesake and a 'lacklustre' Queen's speech

Prince Charles gave the Queen's Speech this year. Picture: @royalfamily

Putney’s MP Fleur Anderson has reacted with anger to a perceived lack of action to tackle the cost of living crisis in the Queen’s Speech and comments made by a Tory MP.

The Government last week unveiled their agenda for the next Parliament, and she says measures to help with the cost of living crisis were conspicuous by their absence.

She accused the government of being focused on stirring up ‘culture wars’ with its programme of legislation which included scrapping the Human Rights Act, refusing to include trans people in the ban on conversion therapy, punishments for environmental protesters, and the privatisation of Channel 4.

She added, “There was nothing new to tackle the cost of living crisis, that has seen local residents hit by increased energy and fuel costs, tax rises, and cuts to Universal Credit. Research by 38 Degrees found that in Putney, Roehampton and Southfields, compared to last year, 73% have more expensive energy bills, 60% are paying more for fuel, 61% are paying more for transport, and 32% have lost income due to the cuts to Universal Credit.”

One Conservative MP, Lee Anderson, the Member for Ashfield suggested in his speech that the increased use of food banks is purely down to people not being able to cook or budget.

Ms Anderson said, “The idea that the cost of living crisis and people struggling to afford food is due to them not being able to cook or budget is beyond insulting. Every day people are contacting me who can no longer pay the bills from their money their earn and they are experts in budgeting and making every penny count.

"When Labour left office in 2010, The Trussell Trust distributed 41,000 food parcels annually. Last year, they distributed a staggering 2.1 million food parcels. People haven't just forgotten how to cook in the previous twelve years; they've been forced into poverty by the policies of successive Conservative Governments. There are now more food banks in this country than there are McDonald's, and that is a damning indictment on their time in power."

"Wandsworth Food Bank, including their bases in Roehampton and Southfields, distributed almost 10,000 emergency food supplies for local people and families in the last 12 months. We also have foodbanks in St Pauls in West Hill and at the Yard at the Ashburton Estate which I visited last weekend. All are reporting an increase in local need. People are working hard, paying more in taxes but getting less from the Government.”

In his introduction to the programme, Boris Johnson said, “The economic aftershocks of COVID-19 and the biggest war in Europe since 1945 mean huge disruptions to the global economy, with people in every major country facing real pressures in the cost of living. No country is immune and no government can realistically shield everyone from the impact.

“It is right that we continue doing whatever we can to ease the burdens people are grappling with now, supporting the hardest hit with £22 billion of help to address the cost of living and cutting hundreds of pounds off household bills.

“But we must also remember that for every pound of taxpayers’ money we spend on reducing bills now, it is a pound we are not investing in bringing down bills and prices over the longer term.

“And that if anything, this moment makes clear our best remedy lies in urgently delivering on our mission to turbo charge the economy, create jobs and spread opportunity across the country.”

May 18, 2022