There are millions of people struggling alone in the cost-of-living crisis – but they’re invisible to our politicians
Being single today is less a description of your relationship status and more an economic state. Of course, being single was never easy: couples can split deposits, rent, insurance, energy bills and more. It is cheaper to do the food shop for two than it is for one, cheaper to share a car and split the cost of filling the tank, cheaper to share one internet bill and streaming account. It has been estimated that people who live alone need to spend almost 10% more of their disposable income than two-person households. But in a cost of living crisis, that delta becomes enormous – and the single remain invisible to policymakers.
In Britain, we are near the beginning of what feels like a long general election campaign, and so we are witnessing the electoral map shrink ever-more until there’s only one true political subject left: “hard-working families”. If you are not a family (or, indeed, “hard-working”, but more on that later) then whatever politicians have to offer is not for you. The Labour party is working for a “future where families come first”, in a country where “many of Britain’s hard-working families are at breaking point”.
Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist
The changing face of Saudi Arabia: is the west being bought?
On Tuesday 10 October 2023, 8pm-9.15pm BST, join Devika Bhat, Nesrine Malik, Patrick Wintour, Barney Ronay and Safa Al Ahmada for a livestreamed discussion on Saudi Arabia’s diplomacy tactics. Tickets available here
