Debate contribution: Cost-of-living Crisis

Debate contribution by Ms Kate Nicholl on 19 October 2026.

MLA: Ms Kate Nicholl
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 19 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Cost-of-living Crisis
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5795947

Text

I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion, which we support. As everyone has mentioned, in our constituency offices we see just how much people are struggling. They really need to see the Assembly taking the issue seriously and treating it with the energy that is usually reserved for issues that we disagree on. One of the biggest issues that we all agree on is this. I do not know about others, but I feel that there has been a strange energy in the Chamber today. If you are outside, you maybe cannot pick up on that. The energy was heightened during Question Time, but it has gone a bit flat. However, this is one of the biggest issues that we need to address, and we need to put serious energy into doing so. We know that the cost-of-living crisis is real. For me, the solution lies in the areas outlined in the motion: of course, the need for a Budget, absolutely; targeted support for the people most at risk; and energy security. However, the issue is also about the economy. We need an economy that grows so that we are not having this debate every winter. My comments will therefore be largely about economic growth. On the point about what we are experiencing and hearing in our constituency offices, we know that bills are going up, that the weekly shop is costing so much more and that childcare costs more than a mortgage. One of my constituents recently said, "It used to be fine. We managed to make do and care for our children on two salaries, and now it is like, 'Which bill will we pay late?'". That is very real across society. People on all levels of income are finding it really hard. On top of that, we have no Budget more than six months into the financial year. Departments are on contingency spending, and that has real consequences. We have seen the number of places on courses reduce. It is having a real effect. We need to answer this simple question: what difference can we make? Alliance has been clear that the Executive need to agree a Budget. We have also been honest about the fact that we will take difficult decisions. That is what is needed. We are seriously and actively engaged in discussions with the Secretary of State. It is interesting that the motion points to what is happening in Dublin. I sit on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA), and it is always horrifying to hear about the surplus that the Irish Government have. They have just announced a Budget of €8·5 billion. We cannot take those headlines from them because we do not have tax-raising powers, and we do not have that surplus. We can, however, learn from their approach of targeting support and making lasting change. Points were made about aiming energy support at the households that are most exposed, but we also need to look at long-term support. Thirty pounds each may not make much difference, but that money could be used to put solar panels in a street. We need to be more creative with the support that we put in place. What are we doing on retrofitting energy-efficiency measures so that the savings come back every year? Of course, I will talk about other cost-of-living items such as childcare, which is economic infrastructure, and improving working conditions. There is so much to this. None of that is sustainable unless the economy grows. You cannot support households on a shrinking base. We have a productivity problem; we know that. We have had that problem for a really long time. Of the 12 UK regions, only two put more into the Exchequer than they get out, and we sit somewhere near the bottom. Given the state of our public finances, the honest answer is that we have to do more. We have to collaborate more, and we, of course, need to fix the basics. When you speak to businesses, they talk about infrastructure problems, waste water and the electricity grid. All of that holds us back, and those are cost-of-living issues as well. We need to do more on skills, stability and investors. We need to look at whether these institutions work. Every month without a Budget does not send a good message. We need to be funded to need. Those are the sorts of things that we agree on and know. However, we have to ensure that we come together, are creative and put measures in place so that people start to feel the difference. Families do not need blame; they need help that reaches them and an economy that is strong enough that next winter is not the same. I thank the Opposition for tabling the motion, which we support.

801 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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