Mid Kent and Faversham voters have their say on inflation
Data from the ONS shows inflation has finally hit its target of 2%, which could mean future interest cuts and cheaper mortgages.
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00:00A sunny day in Faversham and a slightly sunnier outlook on the economy.
00:05Inflation has hit the Bank of England's target for the first time in almost three years,
00:11meaning prices have only gone up by 2% in the year leading up to May.
00:17This could lead to cuts in interest rates and potentially cheaper mortgages.
00:21Now mid-Kent and Faversham is quite an interesting constituency. Historically
00:26true blue Conservative, part of the blue wall here in the South East.
00:31Now there is one point in it between Labour and the Conservatives that's according to new
00:35Ipsos polling and this toss-up seat could be determined by how much money is in people's
00:42pockets. Do they feel better off? That new inflation data that's come out today could
00:48determine that and I've been asking voters on the street how they will be voting this election
00:53and whether this new inflation data actually makes a difference.
00:57Truthfully no I don't think it will. I mean they say inflation is coming down but you still go to
01:04the supermarket and do your weekly shop it still costs a damn sight more than what it did last year.
01:12No because what they measure on inflation I have no idea but it bears no relation to my life
01:18whatsoever. No no no because we've got huge hikes in electricity and gas and water everything
01:26petrol everything's expensive isn't it. The Liberal Democrat candidate for the area is
01:31equally uncertain whether it will make a difference to ordinary people in the seat.
01:36The kind of reassurance that inflation is back down isn't much of a reinsurance when you're
01:40still struggling to pay your rent you're still struggling to pay your mortgage and also feed
01:45your family. A lot of people are now relying on the food banks in Fabersham and Midken. I think
01:49looking at removing the two child benefit cap would be really helpful. I think looking at
01:54increasing universal credit to the most people the people that are in most need.
01:58Meanwhile the Green Party candidate says we need to take a different approach to the economy.
02:04There are a number of reasons why people are really struggling and inflation and the cost of
02:08goods is is one of those things. As you say the cost of fuel is a massive thing which really
02:12influences the cost of cost of goods and if we invest in ensuring that there is really good
02:19renewable energy technology that there is community-owned renewable energy then that
02:24means that we all become much less reliant on foreign affairs to shape our fuel prices.
02:29The Reform UK candidate says the best way to ensure voters in the seat are better off is tax cuts.
02:36We're trying to tax ourselves out of a crisis that both the Conservatives and Labour Party
02:41are doing that. We need to put British people first. We need to put more pennies and pounds
02:45in their pockets. That's why we're going to start tax at 20,000 and ensure that we get this tax
02:50breaks for marriage, marriage capitals etc. We need to ensure that people have got the pennies
02:55and pounds in their pockets to ensure that we can all as a country grow from the grassroots up.
02:59We can't do that anymore. With some voters here feeling worse off than they did at the last
03:04election the future of Mid Kent politically will come down to margins regardless of inflation.
03:11Oliver Leeds for KMTV in Faversham. And for a full list of candidates just go to Kent Online.