Yahoo News The Essex border neighbourhood where 'everyone is suffering' as shopkeepers are 'forced' to put up prices
Shopkeepers at an Essex border neighbourhood's market says 'everyone is suffering' as they are 'forced' to put their prices up. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to shopkeepers on East Street in Barking to see their priorities for the upcoming election.
Speaking from behind the meat counter of his shop on East Street, Ali Saqib says the next Prime Minister in power needs to address the cost of living and huge rent hikes as "everyone is suffering". He says he has been forced to put up his prices in the space of six months to cope with inflation.
"Six months ago, we sold a kilo of mutton for £6.99 but now it's £10, everything has gone up," he told the LDRS. "Everyone is generally suffering with too much rent, it's very hard to live." Mr Saqib's colleague, Munir Ahmed added: "Rents are so high, which is why some people are stealing. They don't have money, there are too many bills - it's a big issue."
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Meanwhile trader, Omar Oukara is packing up his stall at Barking Market as he's almost done for the day. "The politicians have been quite good here, if you look at Barking a few years back, it's doing alright now," he says.
As someone who has worked in markets all over London, Mr Oukara says there needs to be a focus on saving markets and protecting market traders. He said: "The only market that's good in London is probably Barking, that's my personal opinion. I've worked in markets all over London, but they're killing the markets, it's only silly foods, small stalls and expensive rents."
Nuala Kelly was quickly having a browse among the market stalls before closing. She moved to neighbouring borough Newham from Ireland in 1968 and has lived there ever since. Reluctantly, she said: "No matter who gets in, I don't think anything is going to change. No matter who gets in, it's going to take so long to do [anything]."
With a background in care work, Mrs Kelly said: "There is no care in place for the elderly when they come home from hospital now." She added: "You can't even get an in-person doctor's appointment now, you may get through to them on the phone every now and then but you can't really speak to them face-to-face."
As a pensioner, Mrs Kelly is constantly thinking about the cost of living and how much her energy bills are costing her. She said: "I'm 74 now, me and my husband won't put the heating on tonight. We [sometimes] put it on for a little while just to heat it up but when you're older and you have arthritis you feel the cold and you need to have it on. All the time you're thinking about money."
Mrs Kelly says she feels "really sorry for the young ones" because she says there is a lack of opportunities for them in the UK. She explained: "Nobody wants to move now because there's nothing to move to, or there's nowhere to move to unless you go abroad."
"A lot of people go to Australia or Canada because it's better pay and better conditions there. I don't know what [young people] are going to do...the question is who are they going to vote for?"
The constituency of Barking has safely been held by Labour ever since its creation almost 80 years ago, and polls predict it will stay that way in the upcoming General Election on July 4.
The Barking constituency was created in 1945 and has only ever had Labour MPs representing it. According to a YouGov poll, the Barking seat is forecast to stay under Labour.
Who are the eight parliamentary candidates for Barking?
There are eight parliamentary candidates hoping to become Barking's next MP:
Simon Anthony - Green
Muhammad Asim - Workers Party of Britain
Lucy Baiye-Gaman - Christian Peoples Alliance
Nesil Caliskan - Labour
Dee Dias - Independent
Charley Hasted - Liberal Democrat
Clive Peacock - Reform UK
Julie Redmond - Conservative
