“We eat for price rather than pleasure,” Sarah Bowmer told me when we met on the high street of her home town of Bakewell, Derbyshire.
It’s a sunny day and tourists have flocked to this picturesque market town in the heart of the Peak District.
Day-trippers stroll past the souvenir shop and queue up to buy the famous Bakewell pudding, which has made this town famous since the 1820s.
But Sarah isn’t feeling it.
Food prices are still 25% more expensive than when I met Sarah and Paul in 2022. She calls this period the “dark days.”
Sarah, 53, cares for Paul, 56, who is registered as disabled. They live in a rented house with their two sons, Joseph, 17, and William, 15.
In 2022, they had just received a gas bill that doubled from £240 the previous month to £490.
“When I read the letter from the gas company, I started crying. I had no idea how we would handle the situation. It was scary,” Sarah said.
They turned off the heat and wore more sweaters. They have reduced shopping and batch-prepared foods.
O cost of living the crisis that was talked about so much in the media had arrived at his door.
And all of this was happening, in part, due to rising inflation both in the UK and in the world at large.
But the economic hangover caused by pandemicRussia’s invasion of Ukraine and trade difficulties caused by Brexit have also made things worse.
Sarah says she was putting on a brave face for Paul and the boys.
“I was trying to pretend everything was fine, but it really wasn’t. We’re heading into winter and I have no idea how we would do,” she said.
In October 2022, the government intervened to prevent household bills from spiraling out of control, introducing a cap on average bills to help families.
Paul and Sarah struggled to survive
Sarah, like most people, enjoyed this.
But eventually the cost of this scheme, as well as the billions spent to keep the economy alive during the pandemic, would lead to difficult decisions, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announcing £55 billion worth of spending cuts. during the November Autumn Declaration.
Right now, British families are predicted to experience the biggest drop in living standards since the war.
‘The problem is here now’
When I meet Sarah and Paul again, it’s early November, the days are short and there’s a cold snap on the way, with sub-zero temperatures forecast.
Winter in Derbyshire
We sat at the kitchen table and talked. Paulo says their money doesn’t go very far.
“We went for a normal everyday shop, which used to cost around £20 to £30, now it’s turned into £70,” he said.
“There are things we no longer buy, sweets for the children or a nice pudding. The money we save goes towards heating the house or paying the bills.”
Sarah says she is increasingly frustrated with politicians.
“I understand that the government has to look at the long term, but the problem is here and now for many families, including ours. Winter is coming, that’s the problem,” she said.
Over the next few months, inflation begins to fall, offering Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a glimmer of hope that this good economic news can be turned to his advantage.
The Prime Minister announced that there will be a election on July 4th and the nation is placed in an electoral situation.
‘We are worse now’
I met Sarah and Paul again and they told me that their political views were largely shaped by their experiences over the last few years.
The family at a Chesterfield FC match
Sarah says: “Very little has changed for us. We are still struggling to survive and we still see that the price of food is still very high.
“I actually think food is more expensive now than it was a few years ago.
“I have seen politics stumble from one disaster to another and it makes me very angry.
“I don’t think they really care how families like ours survive in these times. They seem to only care about themselves.”
Sarah comes from a Conservative-voting family and has voted Conservative in the past. Paul says he leans more towards Labor, but there is a problem for him.
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“As a leader, Kier Starmer isn’t enough for me. I can’t put my finger on it. But when I look at the Conservative record over the last 14 years, I have no choice really but to support Labor this time.”
Sarah says: “We are worse off now. This is something we must take into consideration in these elections.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
