Labour candidate says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should have spoken to ‘struggling’ pensioners on Maltby visit

The PM visited the Queens Hotel in Maltby on March 7, to host a question and answer session alongside the current Rother Valley MP, Alexander Stafford.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he thought voters would stick with a Conservative MP in the constituency at the next general election – the first in its 106-year history.

However, Jake Richards, Labour’s candidate to contest the seat at the next general election, said that the PM ‘should have gone to spoken to pensioners and other residents, who are ‘struggling after 14 years of Tory government’.

“I’m pleased Rishi Sunak came to Maltby,” said Mr Richards.

“But instead of holding an ‘invite-only’ event for Tory activists, he should have gone to speak with residents, who are struggling after 14 years of Tory government.

“In the recent budget, it emerged that the cost of living continues to rise, the tax burden is higher than at any point since the Second World War, the economy is in recession and the Tories will implement further real-term cuts to our NHS, schools and police.

“I wish he had spoken to pensioners in Maltby, who will receive no help from the Tory budget, and are £1,000 worse off over the coming years, or the teachers and nurses who are struggling to make ends meet.”

Think Tank The Resolution Foundation said that all eight million pensioners in the UK would see their taxes increase by an average of £1,000 by 2027/28 due to frozen income tax thresholds announced in the Chancellor’s budget this week.

Pensioners paying the basic rate of income tax will be around £700 worse off by 2027/28, compared to where they would be without the freeze, said the think tanks.

However, Mr Sunak told reporters yesterday that he cares ‘very deeply’ about pensioners.

“I care very deeply about making sure that people who have worked hard throughout their life have the dignity they deserve in retirement,” he added.

“We’re protecting the triple lock on pensions. Last year pensions went up by around £900, this year they’re about to go up again by around £900.”