Cost of Living Crisis

Len Duvall AM moved, and Marina Ahmad AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly notes that the cost of living crisis is having a particularly acute impact on London which has:

• The highest poverty rate of anywhere in the UK (27%);
• The second worst levels of child poverty in the country (second only to the North East), with 35% of the capital’s children living in poverty and an estimated 250,000 children living with food poverty;
• The highest intra-regional income and wealth inequalities of any part of the UK; 
• Average rents across Greater London of £1,924 – according to Shelter this is leaving one in five Londoners behind or struggling to keep up with their rent; and
• Real wages falling for the lowest paid.

This Assembly also notes that Londoners on the lowest income are hit harder than any other group in any other part of the country according to analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

This Assembly opposes any policy to remove funding from deprived urban areas in favour of affluent towns and calls on the Mayor to write to the Prime Minister urging him to relinquish the pursuit of any such policy.”

Following debate and upon being put to a vote, the motion was agreed with 15 votes being cast in favour, and 0 votes cast against.