Political opinion: Cllr Zack Ali slams ‘Rachel’s Cruel Day’ as families in Crawley hit by £1,191 of extra costs

Cllr Zack Ali has warned that families in Crawley are in line for £1,191 of cost increases from 1 April, dubbed ‘Rachel’s Cruel Day’.

It comes as a swathe of price increases are set to come into force on the Chancellor’s, Rachel Reeves, watch on 1 April and when the tax year changes on 6 April.

Analysis shows an average family could be hit with annual bill increases of £1,191 following April hikes. The price breakdown includes:

• Energy bills will rise by an average of £111. Labour promised to cut energy bills by £300 during the election but now the Energy Price Cap will rise to £1,849 – an increase of £111.

• Council Tax to rise by £109. Labour promised to ‘freeze’ Council Tax, but the average Council Tax bill will rise by £109 on Labour’s watch.

• Water bills to rise by £123; car tax to rise by £5; TV licence to rise by £5; phone bills to rise by £46; broadband to rise by £36 and nursey fees to rise by £756. Labour promised to support families with the cost of living but all of these increases create higher costs for families.

These price rises are yet another broken promise at the hands of a Labour Chancellor who is mismanaging the economy, with the British people paying for the privilege.

Commenting, Cllr Zack Ali, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Crawley said: “This is Rachel’s Cruel Day as families in Crawley are forced to pay the price for Labour’s economic chaos.

“From Council Tax to water bill rises, families simply cannot afford this Labour Government.

“People should not be forced to pay more for Labour’s choices. Only the Conservatives will remain on the side of hardworking families in Crawley.”

Commenting, Mel Stride, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer said: “Today [1 April] hard-working families across the country will see their cost of living rise yet again — and it's all thanks to this Labour government’s choices.

“A whole litany of household bills is set to soar, with some increases running into the hundreds of pounds. Whether it’s council tax, energy, water, broadband or car tax, almost every corner of family life is about to get more expensive.

“Yes, these bill hikes may come into force on April Fools’ Day, but there’s nothing funny about what Labour is doing to the country.”