The price of bread is about to rise again as the UK grapples with the fallout from failed nuclear talks. Last week, US Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian officials in Zurich, hoping to curb Tehran's uranium enrichment. The meeting yielded no breakthrough.
Meanwhile, the British government has issued a terse statement: there will be no new nuclear commitments. For working families in the North, this means one thing: uncertainty. When geopolitics fractures, the cost of living follows.
Stagnant wages are already pinched by inflation, and a potential crisis in the Gulf could push fuel prices higher. The lorry driver delivering your weekly shop earns the same as last year, but diesel costs 15% more. The pound's slide adds to the gloom.
Our exports become cheaper, true, but imports of food and fuel become dearer. The real economy feels this first. Union leaders are already gearing up for a winter of discontent.
The RMT, Unite, and others are balloting for strikes, demanding pay rises that match inflation. The government warns of 'irresponsible' action, but workers remember the frozen wages of the austerity years. The Swiss talks failure is a diplomatic setback, but for the kitchen table, it is a direct hit.
No new nuclear commitments from Iran could embolden the regime. Sanctions may tighten, disrupting supply chains. The ripple effect reaches the supermarket shelves.
The Bank of England is caught in a bind. Raise rates to tame inflation, and crush growth. Hold steady, and watch prices spiral.
The Chancellor's fiscal headroom vanished months ago. There is no budget for handouts. The North already feels abandoned.
The Great North Run saw record numbers last weekend, but the real race is for survival. Every month, food bank usage rises. The Trussell Trust reports a 20% increase in emergency parcels.
The 'levelling up' agenda is a distant memory. The government's own Industrial Strategy Council admits that regional inequality is worsening. The failure in Zurich is not just about uranium.
It is about the failure to protect ordinary people from global shocks. The unions are right: wages must keep pace. But without a strong manufacturing base, we are dependent on volatile global markets.
The time for a green industrial revolution is now, but the Treasury drags its feet. The Swiss talks collapse should be a wake-up call. But I fear it will be business as usual.
The price of bread will rise. The working poor will be squeezed once again.
