As parts of the country took to the polls this month, people asked themselves – am I better off after 13 years of Tory Government? 

The local election results, in addition to last year’s London council elections, show that the public clearly think the answer is no. The Labour Party is now the largest party in local government for the first time in more than 20 years after we won 528 council seats and the Conservatives lost over 1,000. We also took over 22 councils, including in Tory strongholds such as Medway and Swindon.

Whilst the Government handed the richest 1% of pension savers £1 billion, Labour put the cost of living at the heart of our local election campaign, listening to voters on the doorstep who told us they were worried about paying their bills and putting food on the table.

Ham & High: Tulip Siddiq says that Labour put the cost of living at the heart of their local election campaignTulip Siddiq says that Labour put the cost of living at the heart of their local election campaign (Image: PA)

We promised that if we were in power, we would freeze council tax this year, paid for by introducing a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants. We understood that people all over the country are having to make difficult decisions and aren’t feeling hopeful about the future. Labour offered a positive alternative and in response the public sent a clear message to the Conservatives: they are ready for change.

At the same time as our energy bills rise and public services crumble, wages have stagnated and taxes for working people have gone up. I have been doing everything I can to support constituents who are struggling and I recently led for Labour in an Opposition Day Debate in Parliament on the cost-of-living crisis.

While I highlighted the struggles my constituents are going through now that the UK has the highest tax burden in 70 years and the highest inflation in Western Europe, Conservatives on the opposite benches laughed and shockingly boasted about their record on the economy. This sums up their approach to the cost-of-living crisis: they are in denial and living in a fantasy world where the crisis is over.

Until we have a Labour government that will fix the economy and help with the cost of living, I will keep pushing for more support for my constituents in Hampstead and Kilburn who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

  • Tulip Siddiq is Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn.