THE PRIME Minister needs to ‘get a grip’ on the economy Stephen Flynn has urged in a scathing critique of the Government's handling of the economy.
The SNP Westminster Leader took aim at the Labour Party after figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicated that UK inflation increased to 3%, with household bills are forecast to rise even further in April.
Plane fares, rising food costs and a sharp jump in private school fees all helped push inflation higher, the figures suggest.
The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 3% in January from 2.5% in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The new rate of inflation is higher than predicted by analysts, who had forecast a rate of around 2.8%.
Reacting to the dismal figures, Stephen Flynn MP said: "Families in Scotland are paying the price of Labour Party failure with the cost of living rising, unemployment increasing, and the UK economy stagnating.”
He continued: "Keir Starmer promised voters he would cut bills and fix Brexit Britain's broken economy but instead energy bills and food prices have gone up - and the UK economy is heading in the wrong direction.
"The Labour Party caused this mess with its bungled budget, the damaging National Insurance tax hike and its political choice to stay out of the EU single market, which is costing Scotland billions of pounds every year in lost growth, trade and investment.”
He concluded by adding: "The Prime Minister must urgently get a grip, and set out how he will fix this mess and prevent further price rises in April, when energy bills are expected to increase for the third time under the Labour Party."
Earnings growth edged up to 6% including bonuses in December, giving workers a real-terms pay rise of 3.5%. However, real disposable incomes are expected to feel a continual squeeze as pay rises are due to track down this year while inflation increases.
Workers in the public sector achieved a 4.7% pay increase in December, falling short of 6.2% rise in the private sector.
This comes amid a backdrop of falling living standards despite partial economic growth, recent data revealed.
