Britain's cost of living

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The UK has its fourth prime minister in six years. Conservative leader Liz Truss has immediately set out a plan to help with people’s soaring energy bills, food and petrol prices. And then there is the challenge of strikes over pay and a record number of people waiting for treatment by the country’s national health service. Host James Reynolds brings together two public sector workers – Kailee, a care home nurse in Lincoln and Alice, a music teacher in Hertfordshire. Kailee tells us how she can no longer always afford treats for her children and drives slower to save a little money on fuel. Alice, meanwhile, seeks discounts and has begun teaching privately to help make ends meet. We’ve also been hearing the conversations in the city of Derby – a place that was at the heart of the industrial revolution but now faces harsh economic challenges. A hairdresser, ice cream maker and striking postal worker tell how much money they have in their purses. And three small business owners – who run a shop, a pub and a restaurant – discuss the prospect of fewer customers. Pub owner, Anne tells us of the importance of small businesses, like hers, to the community: “We’re community hubs, all the restaurants, the little shops and if they all close because we can’t afford it, what is the country going to come to then?” (Photo: File photo dated 03/02/22 of an online energy bill, as almost half of Britons questioned on the UK's current energy crisis blame the Government more than the energy firms, according to a new poll. PA Photo. Issue date: Friday August 26, 2022 Credit: Jacob King/PA Wire)