The cost of living

What positions have MPs and peers taken on the cost of living over the past twelve months?

A briefing written by AI (Claude) from the Hansard records cited below, prepared 26 October 2026 from records up to 23 October 2026. Check the sources before relying on it.

In brief

• Government ministers pointed to Budget measures on energy, rail fares and prescriptions, as when Torsten Bell wrote that "The Government has already taken action to reduce the cost of living, including taking £150 off energy bills this year, freezing rail fares and NHS prescription charges" [Source 1].
• Conservative frontbenchers blamed Labour's policies, as when Mel Stride said inflation "is a direct consequence of the policies pursued by this Chancellor" [Source 13].
• Labour backbenchers largely welcomed the measures, but Richard Burgon said "the scale of the cost of living crisis demands far bolder action" [Source 17].
• SNP, Plaid Cymru and DUP members said support fell short, as when Kirsty Blackman asked for "an emergency package of measures" [Source 5].

Ministers – supportive

Ministers presented Budget measures as easing pressure, as when Lord Livermore, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said "We recognise that the cost of living remains too high" [Source 2] while listing action on energy bills, rail fares and fuel duty.

• Torsten Bell said "Living standards are rising, with real household disposable income per capita having risen by £700 in the last 12 months" [Source 3].

Conservatives – critical

Conservatives criticised the Government's economic record, as when Shadow Chief Secretary Richard Fuller asked why "the sum of all this Government's economic policies" [Source 8] was leading to what he called a "despairing prospect" [Source 8].

• Jeremy Hunt, a backbencher, said that after gas prices rose, the £150 promise "will ring hollow for many people" [Source 19].

Labour backbenchers – supportive, with some pressing for more

Most welcomed the measures, as when Luke Murphy, who has raised the subject repeatedly, said constituents "particularly welcome the action on energy bills, rail fares and childcare" [Source 14].

• Siobhain McDonagh welcomed the measures but asked that the target of 350 new banking hubs [Source 15] be raised, because "people do not just need Budget measures; they need a way to manage their budgets through the use of cash" [Source 15].
• Burgon opposed the extended income tax threshold freeze, calling it "a stealth tax on ordinary people" [Source 17].

SNP, Plaid Cymru and DUP – support insufficient

Smaller-party members argued the Government's help did not go far enough, as when Jim Shannon (DUP) said "the announcements in the Chancellor's Budget of benefit uplifts and the freezing of tax thresholds do not go far enough" [Source 18].

• Blackman said "even with a £150 rebate, there will be more money on energy bills for the average family than when the Labour Government came into power" [Source 11].
• Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru) urged cutting VAT on energy bills and reviewing unfair standing charges [Source 21].

Committee witnesses

Witnesses told committees that energy was the focus. Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, told the Treasury Committee "energy bills was the right place to act" [Source 30].

• Michael Shanks, Minister for Energy, told the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee the £150 "will make a meaningful difference to people, but that is not the end of our ambition" [Source 31].

Devolved parliaments

In the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinéad McLaughlin (SDLP) said "The UK Government have a great deal of responsibility here, but so do the Executive" [Source 28]. In the Scottish Parliament, David Torrance (SNP) said only independence could protect living standards [Source 23], while Michael Marra (Labour) said "Inflation is coming down" [Source 24].

About the evidence: The records include Commons contributions, Lords written answers, committee witnesses and devolved contributions, with only a few speakers per group. Two Lords entries are questions only and are not used. The Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly decide many subjects for their own nations, and their members are not members of the UK Parliament. No division records are included.

Sources

1. Torsten Bell (Labour; MP for Swansea West, city seat (Swansea urban area, 300,000 people), Wales; role on this date: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) — Written answer, Commons written answers — 10 June 2026 — UIN 6831 — Treasury — Cost of Living: Inflation
2. Lord Livermore (Labour; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: The Financial Secretary to the Treasury) — Written answer, Lords written answers — 11 March 2026 — UIN HL14970 — Treasury — Inflation: Cost of Living
3. Torsten Bell (Labour; MP for Swansea West, city seat (Swansea urban area, 300,000 people), Wales; role on this date: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) — Written answer, Commons written answers — 23 April 2026 — UIN 127421 — Treasury — Standard of Living
4. James Murray (Labour/Co-operative; MP for Ealing North, city seat (Greater London urban area, 8.1m people), London; role on this date: The Chief Secretary to the Treasury) — Written answer, Commons written answers — 5 December 2025 — UIN 94978 — Treasury — Cost of Living
5. Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party; MP for Aberdeen North, city seat (Aberdeen, Milltimber, and Peterculter urban area, 215,000 people), Scotland; role on this date: Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Equalities); Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)) — House of Commons — 10 March 2026 — col. 163 — Treasury — Cost of Living: Families
6. Luke Murphy (Labour; MP for Basingstoke, town seat (urban area of 108,000), South East; role on this date: backbencher) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 27 January 2026 — col. 728 — Treasury — Living Standards
7. Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: backbencher) — Written question, Lords written answers — 2 December 2025 — UIN HL12183 — Treasury — Inflation: Cost of Living
8. Richard Fuller (Conservative; MP for North Bedfordshire, rural seat, East of England; role on this date: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury) — House of Commons — 27 January 2026 — col. 729 — Treasury — Living Standards
9. Debbie Abrahams (Labour; MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, city seat (Greater Manchester urban area, 2.5m people), North West; role on this date: Chair, Work and Pensions Committee) — House of Commons — 2 December 2025 — col. 847 — Income tax (charge)
10. Lord Walker of Broxton (Labour; member of the House of Lords; role on this date: backbencher) — Written question, Lords written answers — 11 March 2026 — UIN HL14970 — Treasury — Inflation: Cost of Living
11. Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party; MP for Aberdeen North, city seat (Aberdeen, Milltimber, and Peterculter urban area, 215,000 people), Scotland; role on this date: Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Equalities); Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)) — House of Commons — 27 November 2025 — col. 581 — Income tax (charge)
12. Matt Western (Labour; MP for Warwick and Leamington, town seat (urban area of 95,000), West Midlands; role on this date: Chair, National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)) — House of Commons — 26 November 2025 — col. 452 — Income Tax (Charge)
13. Mel Stride (Conservative; MP for Central Devon, rural seat, South West; role on this date: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer) — House of Commons — 12 November 2025 — col. 180 — Taxes
14. Luke Murphy (Labour; MP for Basingstoke, town seat (urban area of 108,000), South East; role on this date: backbencher) — has raised this subject repeatedly (on several separate days) — House of Commons — 3 March 2026 — col. 751 — Spring Forecast
15. Siobhain McDonagh (Labour; MP for Mitcham and Morden, city seat (Greater London urban area, 8.1m people), London; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 1 December 2025 — col. 755 — Income tax (charge)
16. John Glen (Conservative; MP for Salisbury, town seat (urban area of 45,000), South West; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 15 January 2026 — col. 474 — Backbench Business — Food Inflation — [Dame Siobhain McDonagh in the Chair]
17. Richard Burgon (Labour; MP for Leeds East, city seat (West Yorkshire urban area, 1.8m people), Yorkshire and The Humber; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 1 December 2025 — col. 722 — Income tax (charge)
18. Jim Shannon (DUP; MP for Strangford, rural seat, Northern Ireland; role on this date: backbencher) — Westminster Hall — 15 January 2026 — col. 466 — Backbench Business — Food Inflation — [Dame Siobhain McDonagh in the Chair]
19. Jeremy Hunt (Conservative; MP for Godalming and Ash, town seat (urban area of 23,000), South East; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 3 March 2026 — col. 741 — Spring Forecast
20. Adam Thompson (Labour; MP for Erewash, city seat (Nottingham urban area, 730,000 people), East Midlands; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 16 December 2025 — col. 855 — Finance (No. 2) Bill
21. Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru; MP for Ynys Môn, rural seat, Wales; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 26 November 2025 — col. 458 — Income Tax (Charge)
22. Liz Saville-Roberts (Plaid Cymru; MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, rural seat, Wales; role on this date: backbencher) — House of Commons — 22 April 2026 — col. 310 — Wales — Cost of Living
23. David Torrance (Scottish National Party, Kirkcaldy) — Scottish Parliament — 18 December 2025 — First Minister’s Question Time — Cost of Living (Support for Households)
24. Michael Marra (Labour, North East Scotland) — Scottish Parliament — 26 November 2025 — Economy
25. Kellie Armstrong (Alliance, Strangford) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 17 November 2025 — Private Members' Business — Cost-of-living Increase: Impact
26. Steve Aiken (UUP, South Antrim) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 17 November 2025 — Private Members' Business — Cost-of-living Increase: Impact
27. David Honeyford (Alliance, Lagan Valley) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 21 April 2026 — Opposition Business — Cost-of-living Crisis
28. Sinéad McLaughlin (Social Democratic and Labour Party, Foyle) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 21 April 2026 — Opposition Business — Cost-of-living Crisis
29. Andy Allen (UUP, Belfast East) — Northern Ireland Assembly — 17 November 2025 — Private Members' Business — Cost-of-living Increase: Impact
30. Ruth Curtice (Chief Executive, The Resolution Foundation) — Oral evidence to the Treasury Committee — 3 December 2025 — Budget 2025
31. Michael Shanks MP (Minister for Energy, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) — Oral evidence to the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee — 28 January 2026 — Unlocking community energy at scale
32. Madeleine Gabriel (Mission Director (Sustainable Future Mission), Nesta) — Oral evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee — 4 February 2026 — GB Energy and the net zero transition
33. Professor Justin Lewis (Professor of Communication and Creative Industries, Cardiff University, and Director of Media Cymru) — Oral evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee — 2 June 2026 — BBC Royal Charter Review
34. Professor Joeri Rogelj (Director of Research, Imperial College Business School and Grantham Institute – Climate Change and Environment) — Oral evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee — 12 November 2025 — The Seventh Carbon Budget