In June 2023, after Labour took control of Bracknell Forest Council, the Executive agreed a series of actions to extend and enhance the local support for residents experiencing financial hardship.

Specifically the ambition was to deliver this within the first 100 days following the election.

Significant progress has been made in the 14 weeks until now. As the 100 days ends (13 August), progress against each commitment is summarised in the attached pdf document that you can read here.

While Labour is acting locally to help, we have even greater committments for the country.

Building on a StepChange survey for BBC Money Box the evidence is that:

• One in five are now forced to ration essentials to pay the bills
• A third say they are in financial difficulty
• One in eight can’t afford to eat as healthily as they would like.

This is the reality of what the Tories have done to our community. Low growth, stagnant wages, failing public services, and ever rising taxes.

It is time for a change. A Labour government will grow the economy by:

• Providing certainty and stability not chaos and short-term fixes:
  • Clear fiscal rules, Office for Value for Money, certainty with a modern industrial strategy
• Seizing new opportunities not letting Britain fall behind in the global race:
  • Providing catalytic public investment through our Green Prosperity Plan, updating our planning system to remove barriers to investment in new industries.
• Ensuring all parts of the country contribute not tolerating widening inequality:
  • Introducing a Take Back Control Act and setting up a National Wealth Fund to invest in new industries in all parts of the country
• Giving working people skills and opportunities not leaving potential untapped:
  • Fixing the apprenticeship levy, improving local employment services and helping first time buyers on the housing ladder.
• Building a resilient trading economy not a weak economy exposed to global shocks:
  • Making Brexit work and bringing in a supply chain strategy.