Fruit and vegetable prices could rise by 30 per cent as the cost of living crisis hits Brits

BORIS Johnson is losing millions of loyal voters as the cost of living crisis hits the Tory heartland, a poll shows.

rockets household bills add to the agony for backers who feel betrayed.

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Yesterday they faced even tighter pressure family budgets Amid the fears, fruit and vegetable prices could rise by as much as 30 percent.

It has resulted in a 7.5 point swing towards work in key Tory areas, a Survation poll shows.

Many feel the government neglects the Shire counties as it amasses resources on former strongholds of the “Red Wall” labor movement

Two-thirds of people in rural areas say No 10 is not doing enough to create wealth in their communities.

And seven in ten believe young people’s opportunities have stagnated or declined over the past five years.

Alarmingly for the Tories, Labor has given most of the votes lost in five of Britain’s most rural counties, according to the poll.

In the 2019 election, 46 percent of people in the areas voted Tory, while 29 percent voted for Labour.

Now just 38 per cent say they intend to vote Conservative, just two points ahead of Labour.

Suppliers warned of recent truck driver strikes gas price in Spain could affect the cost of fruit and vegetables.

Importers say it could take 10 days for shipments of items like tomatoes and lettuce to return to normal, and costs for businesses could rise by as much as 30 percent.

Last night a top Tory warned the election could soon be followed by disastrous results for the party in next month’s local elections.

Corporate energy cliff

SAFE costs put one in ten companies on an ‘energy cliff’, Labor warned last night.

Analysis shows that 200,000 companies closed long-term energy deals at the end of March, putting jobs at risk.

Another 225,000 will be hit when deals end in June, statistics show.

Shadow Economy Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is calling for a cut in interest rates, which will be paid for by an increase in the digital services tax for tech giants and a one-off windfall levy on oil and gas producers’ profits.

He said: “Now action must be taken to ensure businesses remain viable.”

However, government insiders pointed to the recent fuel tax cut.

They also highlighted the 50 percent relaxation in business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

A government spokesman stressed: “We will act wherever we can to mitigate the rising costs.”

And it could lead to another attempt by MPs to force a leadership election – a threat mitigated by the war in Ukraine.

The survey was conducted in five of Britain’s most rural counties by population density – Cornwall, Cumbria, North Yorks, Norfolk and Gwynedd.

Almost half, 42 percent, said there had been an economic downturn in their communities in the past five years.

And 79 percent believe that the lack of affordable housing is driving people out of the country.

Mark Tufnell of the Country Land and Business Association, who commissioned the poll, said: “No party should take country voters for granted.”

Julian Sturdy, Tory MP for York Outer, admitted: “People rightly want a good job and an affordable home.

“The Leveling Up white paper was the perfect opportunity to uncover why they are so hard to find in the countryside, but rural issues have largely been non-existent.

“We noticed this and urgently need to fix it.”

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