LAST WEEK saw the publication of the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine. There was much media attention due to its cover star Harry Styles’s resplendent pink sequin shorts and white fur coat. But it was the editor’s letter by Cliff Joannou which caught my attention.

He writes that we don’t hear good news and we often don’t have much to celebrate — but as British music exports rose by 13.7 per cent in 2021, he says that the arts are here to save us.

As I visited the Edinburgh Festival last week, I agreed in part. The performances were diverse, entertaining, thought-provoking, joyous — a visual and auditory feast.

But as the cost-of-living bites, spending on arts and leisure will take a hit — resulting in job losses within the sector and cultural impact, especially for those performers from working-class backgrounds.

There was the usual high-profile media attention, but not just of the festival, also on the impact of the refuse strikes. That visual, the piles of uncollected rubbish, bins overflowing throughout the city, clearly showed how an important service — when not provided — has a profound impact on the community.

So often our services in local government are invisible or taken for granted. The wide-ranging services in social work, environmental, housing, leisure, and libraries to name just a few.

But as the cost-of-living crisis deepens daily, the demand for our services increases. Just like during the Covid pandemic, our communities turn to local government services for help. Funding for services and the local government workforce pay, however, has been decreasing in real terms.

Local government workers, who are also part of the community, see first hand the struggles due to the cost-of-living crisis. Foodbanks are totally overwhelmed while fuel poverty and food shopping bills are going up to record levels. Compare this with Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak, with his BBQ suppers of roast venison and top-quality red wine. No food poverty in his household, nor would it appear fuel poverty.

He has a newly constructed swimming pool at his country house that already costs £15,000 a year to heat — well before the October price rise. Is it any wonder people feel disengaged with politicians when we are governed by the tone deaf?

In-work poverty is of course not a new concept; Unison along with so many other unions, has been acutely aware of this for many years, with many of our members struggling to make ends meet, relying on foodbanks, shopping for clothes in charity shops or getting assistance from their union.

Unison’s charity There for You helps provide school uniforms and heating grants. It is utterly shameful that in a country as rich as this we have record numbers of people in in-work poverty, along with out-of-work poverty.

The reliance of the use of credit is also a worrying trend, as often the more economically disadvantaged someone is, the more expensive any credit becomes, ultimately leading to more financial worries over repayments. This coupled with food and fuel costs makes for the perfect storm.

But the unions have come into their own, with our membership increasing our collective power especially visible this year, with unions across a wide range of industries, on members’ mandates, taking industrial action on pay.

Unison has argued for over a decade that paying workers more means families lifted out of poverty and more spending in local economies, which in turn creates more jobs and more taxpayers. We will continue to make the case for different political choices and spending priorities on behalf of our members.

This past year has shown that unions have their finger on the pulse of the workers. Politicians need to start listening and acting to halt this harrowing economic landscape. We don’t need sticking plasters, we need a more radical overhaul of our economic system, one fit for purpose. Things can’t go on “As It Was,” just like Harry Styles’s song.

Brenda Aitchison is a Unison local government committee member.