Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the cost of living and the minimum wage and public sector pay.

I appreciate the concerns you raise. Working people are facing the biggest hit to living standards since records began. Real wages are lower than they were 15 years ago, with families in the UK going into the cost-of-living crisis significantly poorer than those in neighbouring countries. The price of everyday essentials has risen massively, with food prices, for example, nearly 30% higher in June than they were two years ago. At the same time, working people are facing the highest tax burden in 70 years, while rising interest rates following the economic chaos in the wake of the Government’s mini-Budget last September have added hundreds and thousands of pounds to people’s mortgage bills.

Since the beginning of the crisis, I have therefore supported calls for action – including for a proper windfall tax on oil and gas companies, without the loopholes in the Government’s version – to support people with the cost of living.

On the specific issues you raise, on public sector pay, I pay tribute to the frontline workers to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude. Like all workers, they deserve a decent pay rise. I believe it is the responsibility of the Government, having created a situation where wages have been stagnant for so many years, to resolve this issue. As you will know, it announced on 13 July that it was accepting the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies. I can assure you that I will continue to monitor this issue.

On the minimum wage, I believe we should change the Low Pay Commission’s remit so that it takes into account the cost of living, alongside median wages and economic conditions, so that finally we can have a genuine living wage that people can live on. I also believe we should empower key workers to act collectively to negotiate higher wages and better conditions.

More widely, I believe that the key to improving living standards and reducing poverty, to creating better-paying jobs and to providing the tax revenues we need to fund strong public services, is growth. That is why I support a mission to secure for the UK the highest sustained growth in the G7, with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country, to make everyone better off.

Thank you once again to all of those who have contacted me.