Women are £574 a year worse off than before the Conservatives came to power, Labour has claimed.
The figure comes from a Labour analysis of Office for National Statistics figures, which found that when taken with inflation the median full-time woman worker’s salary in April 2010 was the equivalent of £30,258.30 compared to £29,684 today.
The figures, first reported by The Observer, also suggest that Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement will hit women’s pockets by £605 million over the next five years, after his decision to freeze tax thresholds.
Shadow women and equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds said: “The Conservatives have crashed the economy and, as usual, they have lumped women with the bill.
While there was only one mention of women in the autumn statement, there wasn’t a single mention of childcare within it— Anneliese Dodds
“With higher taxes, falling wages and no action on childcare, the one question women will be asking themselves is ‘am I better off under the Conservatives?’.
“We now know that the answer is a resounding ‘no’.
“Women know that they face a wasted decade for living standards thanks to reckless decisions of the Conservatives. Labour will put women at the heart of our economic recovery.”
In a speech to the Fawcett Society, Ms Dodds spoke of the struggles facing women after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Two-and-a-half years since Covid hit, women are still feeling the aftershocks of a pandemic that impacted them so unequally, both at home and at work.
“Now they are also grappling with a cost-of-living crisis that has huge gender consequences too, particularly for disabled women, for lone parents and for Black, Asian and minority ethnic women.
“That is why a feminist recovery is so necessary. But the common thread of the past 12 years has been of negligence towards women’s equality. And goodness knows we’ll need plenty of time to recover from that. ”
She added: “While there was only one mention of women in the autumn statement, there wasn’t a single mention of childcare within it.
“How can we expect to unleash the talents of women across our society, with some of the most expensive childcare in the world?
“Jeremy Hunt may not understand this, but we know that when women are able to participate in the formal economy, they benefit, industry benefits, and the economy benefits. That is why childcare, as well as a social good, is a vital part of our infrastructure.”
A Government spokesperson said: “This Government is dedicated to tackling the barriers that prevent women reaching their full potential.
“The Chancellor has announced targeted support worth £26 billion to protect from the worst of cost-of-living pressures, and we are pursuing a number of other initiatives to support women in the workplace.
“This includes our groundbreaking pay transparency pilot, legislation to improve access to flexible working, and our new Enterprise Taskforce.
“We will continue to take data-driven action to ensure that women across the UK can reach their full potential.”
