Labour is committed to keeping the cost of living down. For too long, households have faced high costs for everyday essentials – their commute, weekly food shop and heating bills – but this Government is taking action to tackle these issues head on.
Thousands of commuters will benefit from frozen rail fares for the first time in 30 years. We know the number one concern for people who travel by train is cost. That’s no surprise: transport makes up around 14% of household spending. Frozen rail fares will help ease the pressure on passengers and support growth in our town centre.
The Government has also launched it’s ‘Warm Homes Plan’ to help bring down energy bills. A sizeable £15 billion will be invested in upgrading up to 5 million homes with solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation. This is on top of the £150 off energy bills from April.
Upgrading homes is the best way to bring down bills for good, and this plan is an important next step in tackling energy affordability. A warm home shouldn’t be a privilege – it should be a basic guarantee for every family in Britain.
Prescriptions will remain frozen at £9.90. This will support patients with the cost of living and help ensure that no patient puts themselves at risk by skipping medicine because of cost. This sits alongside Labour’s work to slash NHS waiting lists has have seen significant reductions, falling to around 7.31 million in November 2025 – the second biggest drop in 15 years.
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The Renters’ Rights Act will come into effect on May 1. The reforms will put an end to no-fault evictions; cap rent increases and ban discrimination against benefit recipients. The Act will have a real impact in my constituency, Croydon East, where around 40% of residents rent. Reform of the sector is long overdue, and these changes will give renters much greater security and stability, so they can stay in their homes and avoid the risk of homelessness.
There’s also good news for Croydon’s 7,000 leaseholders. For too long, leaseholders have paid huge sums of money, unfairly, to freeholders and managing agents. Last year, £600 million was paid to freeholders and services charges reaches an average of £2,300 a year - increasing well above inflation.
Labour’s Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will act against this by capping ground rents at £250 a year, banning new leasehold flats and providing a route for leaseholders to transition to commonhold.More plans are also in the works to make it easier for leaseholders to enfranchise, and to ensure that managing agents and freeholders are held accountable for poor practice.
With these measures coming into force, I know many households will start to feel some relief. But I also know from speaking to residents across Croydon East that pressures remain. I will continue working locally and in Parliament to push for practical steps that help families keep more of what they earn and feel secure in their homes and futures.
- Natasha Irons is Labour MP for Croydon East.
