On Tuesday, organizers announced they were postponing the event due to the Queen’s death. “During this period of national mourning, as a mark of respect, Council events and Council-run events will be cancelled,” Hounslow cabinet member Shivraj Grewal said in a statement to CBC News. The local council, which is the equivalent of a municipal government, organized and advertised the event, before finally making the decision to postpone it. While the death of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth has thrown much of the UK into a period of mourning, the pause comes as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis caused by rising inflation and rising energy prices. WATCHES | The Queen’s coffin leaves Buckingham Palace:
Queen’s coffin leaves Buckingham Palace to lie in state
Huge crowds gathered in London to watch the Queen’s coffin move in a carriage to the Houses of Parliament to lie in state. For many Britons, the many days of state-sponsored pomp and protocol are hard to square with what they see as the urgent economic problem the government must now face. “The unfairness and unfairness of the two-tiered society we live in is portrayed,” Karen Thelon said in an email to the CBC. Teulon was one of several Hounslow residents to criticize the council’s decision to cancel the online cost of living event. He felt there was no need to postpone it, considering it was not taking place during the Queen’s funeral and would be over before Wednesday’s ceremonial procession was set to leave Buckingham Palace. While Teulon didn’t plan to attend the cost-of-living event, she said she is “well aware” of the impact that price increases are having on people in her community.
Parliamentary work on hold
Hounslow is one of London’s poorest boroughs, with one in four people living in poverty, according to Trust for Londonan independent charity. While the community event will be rescheduled for later in the month, a far more pressing issue is the government’s plan to roll out a 150 billion pound ($227 billion Cdn) package to freeze energy bills. Newly appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss, who met the Queen just two days before her death, announced the support package in Parliament on September 8. The coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth makes its way along Whitehall during the procession for her lying in state on September 14. (Tristan Fewings/ via REUTERS) After her death, parliamentary business was adjourned until after 21 September. While the government says it plans to deliver a budget update later this month, no specific date has been set. UK inflation, which is the highest in the G7, fell to just under 10 percent in August — the first drop since September 2021. Economists have warned that inflation is likely to peak at 11 percent in October , when a new tariff cap for household energy is set to kick in. The government plans to cap consumers’ energy bills for two years at about £2,500 ($3,800 Cdn) a year, which will avoid a major price spike that consumer advocates have warned could threaten millions of households and businesses. Britain, which imports about 50 percent of its natural gas, is particularly vulnerable to price rises on the international market caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Demand for food banks is increasing
Energy prices may be the biggest looming threat, but consumers are also struggling to keep up with food costs. At a food bank in Hackney, an east London borough where almost two in five people live in poverty, they distribute 400 food parcels a week. Pat Fitzsimons, chief executive of the food bank, says in 2018 it was 100 a week. A food bank in London’s Hackney district distributes around 400 food parcels a week. But his donations are falling, particularly among corporate donors. (Jean-Francois Bisson/CBC) “I think we’re meeting such a small percentage of the need in Hackney,” Fitzsimmons said. “[It’s] quite frightening, in fact.’ The problem is not only demand, but supply. Fitzsimons says food donations have fallen by more than 50 per cent in the last year, so she and others thought of putting out a public appeal, asking those who want to leave flowers at Buckingham Palace in memory of the Queen to consider donating to a local food bank. Hackney Foodbank will be closed next Monday, the day of the Queen’s funeral, as it is for all public holidays. At the food bank Tuesday, 73-year-old Beverly Maude Clark became emotional as she talked about her struggles with health and finances. Beverly Maude Clark is based at the food bank in Hackney, one of London’s poorest boroughs. (Jean-Francois Bisson/CBC) When asked about the Queen’s death, Clark replied: “The Queen wasn’t for me, it was for the rich.” “I don’t think anyone thinks about poor people.”
King Charles’ challenge
As King Charles takes the throne and begins his reign, Nigel Fletcher, professor of politics and modern history at King’s College London, says the monarchy will likely make a concerted effort to contain itself. Fletcher says that in terms of public spending, the cost of the monarchy is “not enormous”. But in times of economic hardship, there is always the risk that a royal ceremony may seem extravagant, especially when it comes to a coronation. King Charles ‘will be willing to ensure it [the coronation is] it’s not considered overly rich, because I think that doesn’t fit the era.” Nigel Fletcher, professor of political and comparative history at King’s College London, says King Charles will want to show solidarity with Britons struggling financially. (Jean-Francois Bisson/CBC) Fletcher pointed out that when Queen Elizabeth got married in 1947, she used clothing allowances to pay for her dress and the materials used were deliberately not very luxurious. At the same time, Fletcher says many people see the pomp surrounding the monarchy as an escape from everyday life. She believes that as King Charles continues to tour the UK, he will want to show concern and solidarity for those struggling financially. Fletcher argues that after the Queen’s funeral, the government will get back to work, including passing the big energy bill relief package. “Understandably, that has been completely dropped from the agenda.”
