Yahoo Finance Rishi Sunak Mocked For Claiming He's Halving Inflation Hours After It Went Up
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Picture date: Wednesday March 22, 2023.
Rishi Sunak has been mocked for claiming he is halving inflation just hours after official figures showed it is going up.
Speaking during angry clashes with Labour leader Keir Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister said: “We are getting on. We are halving inflation.”
But this morning, the Office for National Statistics revealed a surprise jump in Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation from 10.1% in January to 10.4% in February.
The increase was driven by a shortage of vegetables which has pushed up food prices at the fastest rate for 45 years.
But don't worry cause Rishi Sunak just told us at #pmqs he's halving it 🤔 https://t.co/WBeJcivBEl
— Alison McGovern (@Alison_McGovern) March 22, 2023
Blimey. The PM seriously just told the House of Commons that he’s halving inflation on the day that inflation has gone up 🤦♀️ #PMQs
— Emma Hardy MP (@EmmaHardyMP) March 22, 2023
I wonder if Rishi Sunak will take the blame for inflation going up, just as he intends to take credit when it goes down… pic.twitter.com/SWe4eE6874
— Richard Vaughan (@RichardVaughan1) March 22, 2023
Rishi Sunak: "We're halving inflation."
Er ... it's just gone up from 10.1% to 10.4%.— Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) March 22, 2023
Speaking in January, the prime minister promised voters he would “halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security”.
Labour MP Kate Osborne challenged Sunak during PMQs over today’s figures which showed food inflation was at 18%.
“Millions are living in food and fuel poverty because of this government’s failures,” she said.
“How on Earth can the prime minister claim his plan is working? Or is it in his eyes a success that so many people are struggling with their weekly food shop?”
Sunak said “no one wants to see people struggling” with bills including the weekly food shop.
And he pointed the the forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) last week which suggested inflation would fall to 2.9% by the end of the year.
But a Labour source said: “People can’t get a doctor’s appointment, can’t afford the cost of living and see criminals walking the streets with impunity. The prime Minister needs to get in the real world.”
Today’s unexpected resurgence of inflation could also strengthen the case for the Bank of England to further raise interest rates to keep a lid on soaring prices.
