The ‘dark days’ of the cost of living crisis are still with us for this family – and this is what it means for their vote

“We eat for value, not pleasure,” Sarah Bowmer tells me when we meet on the high street in her hometown 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 browse the gift shop and queues form to buy the famous Bakewell pudding that has made this town famous since the 1820s.

But Sarah doesn’t feel it.

Food prices are still 25% higher than when I first met Sarah and Paul in 2022, a period she calls the “dark days.”

Sarah, 53, is a carer for Paul, 56, who is registered as disabled. They live in rented accommodation with their two sons, Joseph, 17, and William, 15.

In 2022, they received a gas bill that had doubled from £240 the previous month to £490.

“When I read the letter from the gas company, I burst into tears. I had no idea how we were going to deal with this. It was terrifying,” Sarah said.

They turned off the heating and wore more sweaters. They went shopping less and cooked food in large quantities.

The cost of living The crisis that was so much talked about in the media had reached them.

And all of this happened partly because of a rise in inflation in both the UK and the rest of the world.

But the economic hangover caused by the pandemicThe Russian invasion of Ukraine and the trade difficulties resulting from Brexit worsened the situation.

Sarah says she acted bravely towards Paul and the boys.

“I tried to pretend that everything was fine, but it really wasn’t. We’re going into winter and I have no idea how we’re going to get through it,” she said.

In October 2022, the government stepped in to prevent household bills from spiralling out of control. To help families, it set a cap on the average bill.

Sarah, like most people, was happy with it.

But ultimately the cost of that plan, as well as the billions spent to keep the economy alive during the pandemic, would lead to tough decisions, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announcing £55 billion in cuts. during the autumn statement in November.

British families are now expected to face the biggest drop in living standards since the war.

‘The problem is there now’

When I saw Sarah and Paul again, it was early November. The days were short and a cold spell was coming. Temperatures could drop below freezing.

We sit at their kitchen table and talk. Paul says their money doesn’t go far.

“We go to the supermarket for a normal daily shop, which used to cost around £20 to £30, but now it’s £70,” he says.

“There are things we just don’t buy anymore, candy for the kids or a nice dessert. The money we save, we have to use to heat the house or pay the bills.”

Sarah says she is becoming increasingly frustrated with politicians.

“I understand that the government has to look at the long term, but the problem is already there for so many families, including ours. It’s getting through the winter, that’s the biggest problem,” she said.

Inflation is set to fall in the coming months, giving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak a glimmer of hope that he can use this good economic news to his advantage.

The Prime Minister has announced that there will be a election On July 4, the country will be put on an election footing.

‘We are worse off now’

I met Sarah and Paul again and they told me that their political views have been strongly shaped by their experiences over the past few years.

Sarah says: “Very little has changed for us. We are still struggling to make ends meet and we are still seeing food prices being very high.

“I think food is more expensive today than it was a few years ago.

“I have seen politics go from one disaster to another and it makes me so angry.

“I don’t think they really care how families like ours survive these times. They only seem to care about themselves.”

Sarah comes from a Conservative voting family and has voted Tory in the past. Paul says he leans more Labour, but there is a problem for him.

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“As a leader, Kier Starmer is not quite what I’m looking for. I can’t put my finger on it. But if I look at the Conservative record over the last 14 years, I really have no choice but to support Labour this time.”

Sarah says: “We are worse off now. That is something we have to take into account in this election.”