Summary

  • The latest UK inflation figures show prices have risen 11.1% in the year to October, up from 10.1% the previous month

  • Energy bills and the cost of food - especially basics like low-fat milk, pasta and butter - are the main things pushing up the cost of living

  • The UK is seeing its highest inflation for 41 years, a figure not seen since October 1981

  • But prices are rising even faster for the poorest households - by more than 16% for the families who spend the least

  • The rising cost of living has been driven partly by energy costs and the Ukraine war but also factors such as the cost of raw materials

  • It all comes a day before Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announces tax changes and spending cuts in the Autumn statement, with warnings of a UK recession to come

  • BBC News is in Gloucester today hearing how people are coping with the spiralling cost of living and economic pressures

  1. Deputy PM Raab declines to say sorry for surging inflationpublished at 12:27 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Deputy Prime Minister Dominic RaabImage source, House of Commons

    In the House of Commons, Dominic Raab has been standing in for Rishi Sunak at PMQs, and is asked by the SNP's Kirsten Oswald if he will apologise for the mini-budget and the rate of inflation reaching 11.1%.

    Raab acknowledged that inflation was "clearly a problem" but his government "has a plan to grip inflation, balance the books, to drive economic growth".

    Oswald replied that if the government "won't even say sorry for the mess that they've made, what hope do we have of them fixing it?"

  2. Listen: What is inflation and why does it matter?published at 12:25 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Understanding inflation will help you understand why your shopping is getting more and more expensive and why prices rarely seem to come down.

    This BBC podcast, presented by economist Tim Harford, cuts through the jargon to help you properly know what it all means. Listen in full here.

    BBC SoundsImage source, BBC Sounds
  3. Mini-budget expanded economic black hole, says Scottish Labourpublished at 12:11 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour Leader

    The fallout from the Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng mini-budget in September has made it more difficult to deal with rising inflation, Scottish Labour's leader says.

    Anas Sarwar told the BBC's Politics Live programme that "money that could have been used to challenge some of those inflationary pressures is instead now having to go plug the holes that were created".

    He said "nowhere near enough" help had been given to businesses to cope with soaring energy prices and "pull down inflation".

    Sarwar pointed to measures helping people in Scotland that the Scottish Labour Party had successfully argued for - such as a freeze on rents until next March, and a ban on forced evictions this winter. He urged his colleagues in Westminster to take note.

  4. Happening now - Government could face cost of living questions at PMQspublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    We've been hearing a lot of calls this morning for the government to take action to tackle the rising cost of living.

    Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out his plans in the Autumn Statement tomorrow - but first there's PMQs, which is starting now.

    PM Rishi Sunak as described inflation as "the enemy" and vowed to drive it down. He's been in Bali at the G20 summit so won't be in the Commons today.

    Instead Deputy PM Dominic Raab will be facing Labour's deputy leader Angela Raynor across the despatch box - among all the other MPs who have a chance to question the government.

    While we don't want you to leave us on this page, if you want to follow all the events in the House of Commons, you can join our politics live page here.

  5. 'Businesses need to see a clear plan from the chancellor'published at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    The chancellor is receiving more pleas from business to take action to avoid "a lethal combination of recession and runaway inflation".

    The British Chambers of Commerce says the Autumn Statement tomorrow needs to set out "a clear plan" to "boost business investment and growth" and "ease the specific causes of inflation".

    BCC head of research David Bharier describes the Bank of England's interest rate rises as a "blunt instrument" that fails to address the core drivers of inflation for most firms - "soaring energy costs, global supply chain disruption, and rising staff costs due to labour shortages".

    Read more about UK interest rates here: How will the rise affect you and how high could it go?

  6. 'We have to find an extra £400,000 this year'published at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Ben Boulos
    BBC Breakfast business presenter in Gloucester

    Neville Morse, owner of Jane's Pantry

    The soaring cost of food and energy is forcing business owners like Neville Morse to make some bitter decisions.

    Morse, who owns Jane’s Pantry café in Gloucester, says they have had to put prices up twice this year - instead of just once in April, like they usually would.

    "Our energy costs have doubled in this one shop alone, from £4,500 a month to £9,000.

    "Across the 11 shops and the factory, we have to find an extra £400,000 in total this year. We don’t want to raise prices for our customers but we have no choice.”

    With general inflation at 11.1%, the figures from the Office for National Statistics show that food and drink prices rose even more sharply in October compared with a year earlier.

    One item on the bakery shelf illustrates that rise in food prices: a seasonal favourite here, the rum truffle. Last year it was £1.80, now it is priced at £2.20.

    And that’s for those lucky enough to still be able to afford those little treats at all.

  7. How do we compare internationally?published at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Dharshini David
    Economics Correspondent

    Higher food and fuel costs are causing pain globally - but some countries are worse affected than others.

    Of our big competitors, inflation, which measures how the cost of living changes over time, appears to have peaked in the US, falling to below 8% recently.

    By contrast, much of Europe is seeing a similar rate to us. Italy and Germany are actually among the worst hit, with the cost of living increasing by 12.8% and 11.6% respectively.

    The key difference? A much greater dependence on this side of the Atlantic to the soaring price of imported energy.

    Ultimately though, the higher and more prolonged the cost of living crisis is likely to be, the worse the pain for households and the economy as a whole as bigger bills bite.

    So there’s another league table that we won’t shine in: that of future growth, with the Bank of England among those predicting a lengthy recession is already under way.

  8. Get in touch with questions for our expertspublished at 11:25 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    As we all grapple with the cost of living, the BBC is providing support and advice from our experts on saving money.

    What do you need to know? What advice to do you need to help you cope with rising costs?

    Our experts will be answering your questions on inflation on this page later today, and tomorrow after the Autumn Statement.

    Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external or WhatsApp us on +44 7756 165803.

    BBC Your Questions Answered graphicImage source, .
  9. Catch up on the morning's developmentspublished at 11:23 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    If you're just joining us or are in need of a little refresher, here's a look back at the key developments from this morning:

    • At 07:00 the Office for National Statistics announced that inflation in the year to October had risen to a 41-year high of 11.1%
    • The rise - up from from 10.1% in September - was largely driven by rising fuel, energy and food prices
    • Food inflation is currently running at 16.2%, with staple items such as milk and pasta more than double that
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said tackling inflation was his number one priority
    • Tomorrow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Autumn Statement and has promised to drive down "insidious" inflation as part of his economic programme
    • Some analysts say there could be a glimmer of hope with some goods - aside from energy and food - rising at a more stable rate
    Graph showing products with highest inflation - namely low-fat milk, margarine, pastaImage source, ..
  10. Food industry body urges government to cut trade costspublished at 11:05 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    In response to the latest figures on the cost of living, the Food and Drink Federation has called on the government to cut the cost of trading with the European Union (EU).

    Its boss Karen Betts said that manufacturers had faced spiralling energy prices, forcing them to pass costs on to customers.

    That comes in addition to extra red tape businesses have had to face up to after Brexit.

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    Tomorrow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out how he will tackle soaring costs for households and businesses in the UK at his Autumn Statement.

    "Government could help ease these pressures by reducing the costs of doing business, for example through simplifying regulation, reducing the cost of trade with the EU, and helping companies to invest in growth, innovation and skills through tax incentives," Betts said.

  11. What happens next depends on politicianspublished at 10:48 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Chart showing inflation going back to the 1950s

    As UK inflation hits a 41-year high, one of the big questions for all of us is - when will the cost of living stop rising so much?

    The current rate of 11.1% is far above the Bank of England's target of 2%, but some economists say it is possible that inflation could have peaked and the rate of price rises will now start to slow down.

    Garry White, chief investment commentator at Charles Stanley, said the path for prices now depends on politicians.

    "The two-year energy-price cap announced by Liz Truss’s government will now end in April next year – as it was deemed too expensive by Rishi Sunak’s new government and its expiry could see inflation return to double digits in spring next year," he said.

    "So, Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on Thursday is perhaps the most significant budget statement from a UK government for many, many years and protections put in place to shelter consumers from any price jump when the current [ones] end in less than six months’ time will be a major factor determining the health of British household finances next year."

  12. House price growth is slowingpublished at 10:38 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Kevin Peachey
    Cost of living correspondent

    More figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today - this time on house prices.

    They show that UK property prices rose by 9.5% in September compared with a year earlier.

    Potential first-time buyers will feel that this is another big increase, but actually the annual rate of growth has dropped from 13.1% in August.

    The average UK home cost £295,000, which is £26,000 higher than this time last year.

    Commentators suggest house price growth will continue to slow, and prices may even start to fall, owing in part to higher mortgage costs.

  13. 'Little glimmer of hope' with latest inflation figurespublished at 10:30 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    We've reported this morning on how inflation has hit 11.1% due to prices of energy bills and food.

    But Dame Deanne Julius, former member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee and now with Chatham House, says some of the elements driving inflation - aside from energy bills and food prices - may be stabilising.

    She told BBC earlier: "It is pretty clear the Bank of England will have to raise interest rates further than they are now - the 3% interest rate at the moment.

    "I would say there is a little glimmer of hope in the latest figures with the rate of core inflation - that is if you take out the two big volatile elements of energy and food, that was 6.5% - a bit less than the 11.1% at headline rate.

    "And that core element did not increase at a faster rate last month than it had previously, so that does show a sign we may be hitting some sort of tentative plateau in the indirect effects of inflation, and we will probably see a change in the energy price component in April when the system expires."

  14. More people opting to eat at home, says Bisto ownerpublished at 10:11 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Family making Christmas dinnerImage source, Getty Images

    The owner of Mr Kipling, Sharwood's and Bisto says its sales went up by 6.2% in the six months to 1 October - suggesting more of its customers are opting to stay in rather than eat out.

    Premier Foods said that its sales topped £47m in this period, as people tried to save money by cooking for themselves.

    The firm is set to launch a campaign encouraging people to cook and prepare affordable meals at home for just £1 a serving, although it has also had to put its prices up to counter rising costs.

    Its chief executive Alex Whitehouse said: "With people starting to eat out less, they often find the best restaurant in town is at home, where you can make nutritious and tasty meals more affordably."

    If you're looking for money saving hacks for your food shop, read more here.

  15. Analysis

    The rising cost of your morning routinepublished at 09:42 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Kevin Peachey
    Cost of living correspondent

    If you are hearing percentages thrown around and feel that inflation is some abstract economic statistic, then step back to consider your day so far.

    So much you have done will be a lot more expensive than it was a year ago - and that is exactly what inflation measures.

    Breakfast for the kids? Food prices rose at their fastest rate for 45 years.

    Did you pop the heating on for an hour? Energy costs were the main driver of the increasing rate of prices in general.

    Driving to work? Petrol and diesel prices are more than 20% up on a year ago.

    These are necessities are show why everyone is feeling the impact of the rising cost of living.

  16. One pub sees electricity costs 'double'published at 09:38 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Ramzan Karmali
    BBC Business reporter

    Greg Pilley

    As part of our ongoing coverage on the cost of living, BBC News is asking people from towns and cities around the UK how they are coping.

    Today we are in Gloucester, one of 12 different locations that we will be visiting to speak to households, businesses and families to find out how the rise in living costs is affecting you.

    Greg Pilley is the founder of the nearby Stroud Brewery & Taproom in Gloucestershire, which also supplies its beer to pubs and shops.

    He says his business is facing a 10% rise in costs.

    "The biggest rise is power," he says. "Electricity has doubled over the last year."

    "We're paying £70,000 a year compared to £30,000 in the previous year, but also raw materials are going up between 10-15%."

    As a result, he says his customers face a price increase of "between 25 and 30 to 40p per pint".

    The Stroud Brewery pays the Real Living Wage to its workers, a voluntary wage rate that is set by the Living Wage Foundation charity and is higher than the government-set National Living Wage.

    Pilley says the increase in the Real Living Wage has led to up to "£60,000 a year additional costs which means we have to sell somewhere between £150,000-£200,000 more beer just to cover the additional wages cost".

  17. Price rises 'unsustainable' for pubspublished at 09:29 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Charlene Lyons, the chief executive of the Black Sheep Brewery, in Yorkshire, which has about 140 staff and operates five pubs across the region, has shared how tough things have become for her industry.

    She says price rises from suppliers are a struggle as pubs don't want to be forced to put up prices of drinks in order to cover their own costs.

    She told the BBC's Today programme this morning: "We can't possibly pass on all the price rises we see onto our customers, otherwise people would be paying in excess of £10 a pint, most likely.

    "It's just not sustainable or feasible in this economic climate, especially as beer for many is a luxury item, so we're trying very hard to manage costs where possible.

    "We're seeing suppliers pass on their entire cost increase to us and that's a really untenable position to be in."

  18. Which food items are getting more expensive?published at 09:14 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Chart showing some food items going up in price

    We've been doing a bit more digging through the official figures to work out where exactly the cost of living is going up.

    They show that the prices for many essential food items have jumped, which you've probably already noticed when doing your weekly shop.

    Low-fat milk, for example, has gone up by nearly 48% since last October, while pasta costs 34% more than a year ago.

    Butter costs almost 30% more than a year ago, and margarine and vegetable oil prices have soared, partly because sunflower exports have been disrupted from Ukraine, one of the world's biggest producers.

    And bad news for those with a sweet tooth as the cost of jam and honey has also jumped by more than 22%.

  19. Sunak promises fairness and compassion in Autumn Statementpublished at 09:07 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    Nick Eardley
    Chief political correspondent

    Media caption,

    Chancellor's plan is based on compassion - Sunak

    The prime minister has said inflation is the "enemy" and the main anxiety for households in the UK.

    Speaking in Bali just now, the PM said rising prices were eating into people's living standards and the government would work hard to bring inflation down.

    He told reporters: "I will make sure we do that - and will do it as a quickly as possible."

    Sunak said the government had strived to deliver fairness and compassion in the Autumn Statement.

    He repeated that there would be difficult decisions, but added: "You got a glimpse over the summer of what can happen if you don't get these things right."

  20. Pay rises needed to avoid years more of hardship - TUCpublished at 09:03 Greenwich Mean Time 16 November 2022

    The UK's cost of living crisis is "getting worse by the day" and will only be addressed by pay rises across the economy, the Trades Union Congress says.

    Frances O'Grady, who is head of the federation of trade unions, is warning that the country needs "more than sticking plaster fixes" and says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt must increase pensions and benefits in line with inflation.

    We'll find out the government's plans in the Autumn Statement tomorrow.

    But Grady says "family budgets are being shredded as the cost of food and energy skyrockets" and if public sector pay is not addressed "millions of key workers will face years more of hardship".

    The TUC said that its analysis showed that a 2% pay rise would see NHS nurses receive a real-terms wage cut of £1,500.