E43: Cost of Living Crisis – With David Linden MP and Cllr Jen Layden

Cost of Living Crisis with David Linden MP & Councillor Jen Layden. The Office for National Statistics recently reported those earning below the UK average wage will pay up to an extra £255 per year, with the forthcoming Tory national insurance hike. The lowest earners have seen their universal credit cut by £20 a week by the Tories, all while they were trying to grapple with inflation running at over five per cent and climbing. For example, foods such as rice have shot up over three hundred per cent in cost. To exacerbate the issue further, national rises in electricity and gas costs will send family bills skyward, with average households facing another £800 a year in energy costs. If that sounds bad, spare a thought for those living in rural areas or not connected to gas mains and reliant on electricity or fuel as heating oil. Their costs will be three or four times that amount. And families are dealing with all this while feeling the Brexit bite, low wages and spiralling costs. In this episode Drew talks to David Linden MP and Councillor Jen Layden about the cost of living crisis and the impact Westminster policy has on Scottish families. David and Jen share their thoughts on how things could be done differently in an Independent Scotland. Follow David Linden MP on twitter or visit his website and catch up with Jen Layden here. Listen to more episodes of Scotland's Choice.