The typical household in the North and Midlands is seeing prices rise faster than in the South East, with areas that the Conservatives promised to ‘level up’ being hit particularly hard by the cost of living crisis.
The estimated inflation rate experienced by the average household in towns such as Bolton and Middlesbrough is more than two percentage points higher than in areas such as Hart in Hampshire and Wokingham in Berkshire, new analysis has found.
While 13 of the 20 areas where average households experience the lowest inflation rates are in the South East, all but three of the areas in which households are seeing prices rise fastest are in the North and Midlands.
This exposes that while the cost of living crisis is being felt by households in every part of England, certain regions are bearing the brunt of runaway prices.
Many of the hardest-hit places are areas that the Conservatives promised to ‘level up’ during the 2019 election campaign, such as Blackpool and Burnley in the North West and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands.
Particularly sharp spikes in energy, food and fuel prices have contributed to this regional disparity, with a greater reliance on cars in certain areas because of poor public transport provision, and variances across the country in the nature and quality of housing stock.
Areas in which wages have failed to keep track with rising prices are also disproportionately found in the North.
Responding, Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Levelling Up Secretary, said: “Families in every part of the country are being hit by the cost of living crisis, but these shocking figures reveal how North West is bearing the brunt of the Tories’ reckless mismanagement of the economy.”
“A Labour government will bring down bills by stabilising the economy and will make families across our country better off with our mission to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7, driven by people and places in every part of the UK.”
