THE GUARDIAN: Rishi Sunak vows to prioritise fight against the rising cost of living
Rishi Sunak has pledged to make the fight against a rising cost of living his No 1 priority after surging energy bills sent the UK’s annual inflation rate to a 41-year-high of 11.1%.
Preparing the ground for tough action in Thursday’s autumn statement, the prime minister responded to the highest figure since October 1981 by describing inflation as an “enemy” that needed to be faced down.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the annual inflation rate last month jumped a percentage point from 10.1% in September, despite help provided to households through the launch of the government’s energy price guarantee.
Dearer food also contributed to prices rising 2% in October alone compared with the previous month, a bigger increase than the Bank of England and the City had been anticipating. Milk, cheese and egg prices rose by more than 27% compared with a year earlier. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Wednesday, November 6, 2022
