Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)      notes that inflation is at over 10%, with Britain the only G7 economy where inflation has hit double digits;

(b)      believes that whilst energy costs are a leading contributor to high inflation, other aspects such as stagnant economic growth and poor handling of public finances has made Britain particularly vulnerable to the energy crisis;

(c)      notes that under this Government:-

(i)       working families’ pay is falling by £1,300 this year;

(ii)       everyone in Sheffield is feeling the hit from higher taxes and rising energy, food and fuel prices;

(iii)      15 tax rises have led to the highest tax burden in 70 years; and

(iv)      local people are working hard, paying more and getting less;

(d)      supports the Labour Party’s plan to take real action now to tackle the Government’s cost of living crisis:-

(i)       cut VAT on home energy bills;

(ii)       save on energy bills now and in the longer term by insulating millions of homes;

(iii)      cut small business rates and support businesses through the cost of living storm; and

(iv)      buy, make and sell more in Britain to create well-paid, secure jobs in every community;

(e)      believes that Sheffield City Council must do everything it can to support the city through this crisis, and that as an organisation we must work on this with the same resolve and collective spirit that was needed throughout the pandemic;

(f)       believes that the Council must work in partnership with the voluntary, community, and faith sector to establish a network of welcoming places where people can come together to reduce their living costs over the winter;

(g)      believes that providing somewhere warm for people to go to is important but that Sheffield’s network of spaces should be about much more than keeping warm;

(h)      believes that Sheffield’s warm and welcoming spaces should harness everything great about the support that exists in the city, providing places for people to socialise, undertake activities, share advice, learn and support each other;

(i)       welcomes the on-going work of the cross-party Cost of Living Steering Group (chaired by Council Leader, Councillor Terry Fox) which will be reporting before October with more detailed plans, including the mapping out of spaces across the city;

(j)       calls on the Government to finally provide sufficient financial support for households, businesses and to local authorities to ensure that people in Sheffield get the support they need through this ongoing crisis that this Council believes is of their making; and

(k)      believes that whilst the Government is not providing any funding to do what is really needed to support people fully, it is important that the Council helps to lead the co-ordinated efforts across the city to support residents through this ongoing crisis.