Ahead of the Tory hustings, we asked people on the streets of Birmingham how the cost of living crisis is hitting - and what the next Prime Minister should do about it.
Maxie George, 47, a market trader at Harris eggs and cheese from Birmingham, said: “It affects us here because people are short of money. People aren’t coming into the city centre.
“It’s down to the cost of getting here and parking, and where people were buying certain quantities that’s now reducing. They’re now buying what they can get away with rather than a little bit extra.
“We have got a frozen food shop and have to run three vehicles, so we have massive energy costs.
“I would tell the candidates the main thing is the energy costs, because that is the biggest problem. People are so worried - they have no idea what’s going to come on their gas bill or their electricity bill.
“If they’ve got a cooker they might turn it off. I’ve got an elderly lady stockpiling cans.”
Chethan Bharatha, 32, a restaurant owner from Nottingham, said: “ Energy bills need to be kept down as the cost of living is too expensive. When other places are paying a minimum wage of £9.50 it’s so difficult for people to look after their families.
“A single-bedroom flat in Nottingham was about £600 - now it’s £900. It’s so difficult to make ends meet.
“I’ve always voted Labour. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss need to keep the bills down and make sure the minimum wage goes a bit higher. It changed but it would be nice to give a bit extra.
“Before Covid I used to pay £400 per month in energy bills, now we are paying £799. Water I used to pay £289, now it’s £622.”
Juliet Taylor-Davies, 46, a student support officer from Cannock, said: “They should put National Insurance back down, reduce the taxes and get more of the windfall tax back off the energy suppliers.
“They need to collaborate with each other rather than b****ing at each other. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - none of us would have voted for them. What Rishi Sunak is doing is all for the rich people.
“All these companies are announcing massive profits - why are we not getting it? We’re getting taxed through the nose.
“It’s hard to trust any of them, I’ll be honest. Although they’re not Boris Johnson, they all stood by and watched it all happen.
“I’ve been Labour but last time I didn’t vote because I didn’t want Corbyn.”
Arfaan Zaid, 40, a security officer from Leeds, said: “They should help the public in any way they can. Maybe make a deal with the energy companies to keep prices down.
“Because at the moment it’s tough, it’s really difficult. I’ve got four kids and it’s really really hard.
“I voted Conservative at the last election but I don’t know much about the leadership candidates. I don’t really care who becomes the Prime Minister as long as they can help the public.”
Sonia Griffith, a teacher from Birmingham, said: “They should live a day in the life of someone on benefits, someone who has a pre-payment meter, or a teacher doing what they can and still not making ends meet.
“Or someone who’s a nurse doing an amazing job but not making enough for their children.
“Do they even know what a pre-payment meter is? Rishi Sunak - he’s a multi-millionaire. He will never know what it is to struggle. Cereal is what he has for breakfast. Other people have it for dinner.
“They have got to put something in place to support the people. If not, they are going to have deaths on their hands. If you’re not working, the National Insurance cut means nothing to you.
“I abstained in the election - not any of them are really doing any good.”
Mary Gordon, also a teacher from Birmingham, said: “What they need to do is put jobs in a hat and MPs take one of those jobs, as a swap.
“If they see a car crash happening, if they know the economy is in a bad way, they have the power to stop and do something about it.
“Do they shop at Primark? Do they know we call it Primani, give it a little nickname to make ends meet?
“I voted Labour out of loyalty because our parents voted Labour and you think they’re for the working man, and they want us to progress. But they’re also displaced from it.”
Diane Brookes, 62, a retired civil servant from Stourbridge, said: “What I want the government to do is make sure people who are on benefits earn the benefit. Incentivise them to get out of bed and actually get off the benefit system and into work.
“I want them to make sure for people who are in social care, the money actually gets to people that need it - so we need more fraud investigations.
“I vote Conservative but you’ve got to be really worried with either of them becoming Prime Minister. I don’t agree with Liz Truss’s policy and I don’t know Rishi Sunak is going to deliver what he says he will.”
