Cost of living fears rife in election battleground

Shannon Challoner sees no way of ever owning her own home

"I want to live on my own. I want privacy. I’m not going to be 40 and still living at home."

Shannon Challoner is a bingo hall cashier who sees no way of ever owning her own home.

As a general election looms, the 20-year-old from Rhyl, Denbighshire, wants more intervention from politicians to ease the cost of living crisis.

She still lives with her dad and pays him a quarter of her £400-a-week wages in rent.

"I need them to do something for me," Shannon said.

"They need to lower food, fuel, electric and gas prices. They need to lower rent."

A 10% deposit to buy her own home, or even renting her own place, are completely unaffordable.

According to the Office for National Statistics, in the year to March 2023, the average house price in Shannon's home county was £185,500.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he expects to call a general election in the second half of 2024 and, with that in mind, I set off on a road trip through four north Wales constituencies.

Bangor Aberconwy, Clwyd North, Clwyd East, and Wrexham are newly redrawn areas under the plans to cut the number of MPs in Wales from 40 to 32.

In the last general election in 2019, much of this previous Labour stronghold in north-east Wales turned Conservative blue.

I found two consistent themes: The dreadful impact of the cost of living crisis on people’s lives and a sense that politicians don’t get it.

Oh, and 20mph, which some people told us could influence their vote even though it is Welsh and not UK government policy.

Samantha Huntley says she would like to see regulation to keep the prices of fruit and vegetables down

The trip started in Conwy - part of the new Bangor Aberconwy constituency - at a parent and toddler group.

There were plenty who wanted an expanded childcare offer – although that is in the hands of the Welsh government, not Westminster.

But it didn’t take long for the talk to turn to rising prices.

Samantha Huntley, a healthcare worker from St Asaph, was at the market with her children, aged two and three.

"We’re on a limited income," she said.

"The issue is making a budget stretch to healthy eating and getting the boys outdoors for very little cost.

"I’d like some sort of regulation to keep [the price] of fruit and veg down to encourage people to make better choices."

Can politicians be trusted?

Helen Bairstow feels politicians have less credibility since Covid

There is a "credibility gap" between what politicians say and what they do which has got worse since Covid, according to Helen Bairstow who runs Wooden Spoon Bakery.

What would she tell them?

"I don’t think I’d say much because I don’t think they’re listening. I don’t think I’d bother. Nothing seems to change," she said.

Wrexham soon beckoned, one of the traditional Labour seats won in 2019 by the Conservatives.

There was plenty of food for thought at the city’s Tŷ Pawb food hall.

Steffi Williams says the cost of living is "massive"

Steffi Williams, from Coedpoeth, who was there with her baby, said the cost of living was "massive".

"Everyone I know in my circle is struggling financially," she said.

"You can get a family with two working parents and they’re struggling, having to go to foodbanks."

The answer often involves "budgeting, cutting back, not going out as much with the kids. It’s always the kids that suffer first."

What does she want to hear in the election campaign?

"A bit more truth would be good."

Tara Mellor says she is working extra hours and trying to cut back

Also based in the hall, Tara Mellor from Geek's Barbers is trying to snip away at rising food costs, which have doubled for her six-person household.

"I’m working extra hours, trying to cut back, doing meal plans, turning the heating down, but it doesn’t seem to be making much of an impact to be honest," she said.

Tara has extended an invitation for Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak to sit in her chair.

What would persuade her to vote?

"If they listened to normal everyday working people," she replied.

Rhys Hughes, coach of Ruthin RFC, says his committee meetings are dominated by finance rather than rugby

The last part of my journey took me to Ruthin in the new constituency of Clwyd East.

It was a bitter Thursday night under the floodlights for training at Ruthin RFC.

Rising prices were again the hot topic.

Coach Rhys Hughes said every committee meeting was now dominated by finance, not rugby.

"We put the heating off in the clubhouse during the week and we have a plumber coming in to look at whether we can save costs on the water," he said.

Trying to keep things going was a "struggle".

So what would he say if one of the party leaders turned up to training?

"We’d stand him over there and tackle him and maybe get a good ruck over him," he joked.

"But no, it would just be about having an open and honest discussion with them and make them aware of how difficult it is."