John Healey: “We have cut VAT on electricity bills and capped bus fares at £2 - to give breathing space to those feeling the strain.”

It is not progressive to allow a bigger and bigger benefits bill, and a system which offers an income but doesn't offer a future.

Britain has it harder now. We had 13 years of flatlining tory growth in living standards when Cameron’s austerity gutted our public services, when Johnson’s Brexit hammered our exports and Truss’s mini budget crashed our economy.

Cutting welfare spending was a priority and announced that every mayor in England would have access to a Local Apprenticeships Service from March 2027 to generate thousands more youth opportunities.

These times demand of us a greater resolve, a greater determination and a greater hope.