Published: Just now
Inflation is rising, electricity prices are expected to skyrocket and mortgage interest rates will be higher.
After reading Aftonbladet’s review of greater consumption of school meals, Magdalena Andersson (S) demands that the government act immediately – and wants to see increased child benefits and crisis talks.
– In that situation, spending 13 billion on lowering the tax for high income earners is not the right priority, says the S leader.
In Södertälje municipality, they have noticed an “avalanche-like change in both school and preschool” in the consumption of school meals. In Aftonbladet’s review, school catering staff testify how children eat more, especially on Fridays and Mondays.
– It is terrible. That’s not how it should look in Sweden. But it is in line with what I encounter on trips in Sweden. It’s really tighter on people’s wallets. The combination of the inflation we’ve had and higher housing interest rates affects households, especially families with children, says former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, who followed the review.
In an interview at the Social Democrats’ Riksdag chancellery, the party leader wants to see a boost from the government. Preferably yesterday.
– I think the government should call for crisis talks about household finances, not least families with children. It is not too late to make changes to the government’s budget. There is still an opportunity to stop the tax cut for high income earners and instead make everyday life easier for families with children. We have proposed an increased child allowance, but there are also other things you can do, such as maintenance allowance or housing allowance.
Extra increase in inflation
The government has not included any special tax reductions for high income earners in its budget, apart from an increased employment tax deduction for those over 65. But with the cut-off point being raised for state income tax for high earners, it still means heavy tax breaks for those who earn the most.
As the break point is linked to the so-called price base amount, the increase will be extra high as a result of the high inflation.
Magdalena Andersson wants the government to completely scrap the increase in the limit for state income tax, and believes that an increased child allowance could be in place as early as January.
But why crisis calls? Ulf Kristersson doesn’t really need your help to do this, does he?
– That is absolutely correct. But my support might make it easier to convince other parties in their cooperation. We know that the Liberals usually prioritize tax cuts for high income earners very, very highly and that is usually one of their top priorities. Maybe I can try to help convince them that families with children are more important than high income earners.
The S leader also continues to be critical of the government’s handling of the high-cost protection for electricity prices.
– Above all, I think that the government and SD should live up to their election promises. The four parties that won a majority promised that a high-cost protection would be in place by November 1. Nothing has happened since they made the promise that justifies it not being in place. Nothing.
– Sometimes in politics things happen that make it impossible, new information, or a new twist. Not in this case, all the information was in place when they made the promise, so there is no excuse for not delivering. And many households have planned their household finances on the basis that the money would be in place well before Christmas as they promised.
“Can come in a quarter of an hour”
Magdalena Andersson also questions that the support is only aimed at customers in southern Sweden.
– The government seems to have forgotten that there is a Sweden north of the Dalälven, perhaps it is because no one in the government lives north of the Dalälven. The electricity price in Norrland yesterday was five bucks per kilowatt hour, it is clear that they also need protection against high electricity bills.
You call it a crisis call, doesn’t that signal something ominous?
– We see how tough it is for many families and there are more families in Sweden who are having a tough time financially. An example is Aftonbladet’s reports that children eat significantly more on Mondays and Fridays, because they eat themselves on Fridays and because they are hungry on Mondays. It shows that the government must act.
Calling it crisis calls, doesn’t that send a signal that risks making people more anxious?
– I think it’s when you get the electricity bill and stand at the till and realize how much it costs when you’ve bought some ordinary food, that’s what makes people worried.
You don’t think you risk increasing the concern with that rhetoric anyway?
– It is the reality that makes people worried, because it is a very, very tough everyday life for many in Sweden who have small margins or who are sitting with large mortgages and now they are very sweaty.
When would you see the crisis talks taking place?
– I am ready to come in a quarter of an hour, at any time, as soon as possible.