Andy Burnham ‘failing families’ as data shows 40% rise in food prices, says SNP

Detailed summary

The Bank of England has forecast that food inflation will rise to around 5% next year.

Andy Burnham is “failing families”, the SNP has said, as new data shows food prices have risen almost 40% in six years.

Analysis by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the SNP, revealed the average price of food and non-alcoholic drinks in the UK rose by 39.6% in the six years from September 2020 to September 2026.

This is a sharp jump from the the six previous years when prices increased by 1.57%.

The data shows that in 2019/20, average weekly household spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks was £63.70.

The Bank of England has forecast that food inflation will rise to around 5% next year.

SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said basic essentials are becoming “increasingly unaffordable”.

He said: “Andy Burnham promised he would cut the cost of living but on his watch every major household bill has increased, leaving many families thousands of pounds worse off.

“Brexit Britain is broken and the basic essentials of everyday living are becoming increasingly unaffordable for most people, but the Labour Government is sitting on its hands doing next to nothing to help.

“People used to warn hard-pressed households were having to choose between heating and eating, but with the price of food up 40% and energy bills set to be around £1,200 higher than the Labour Party promised this winter, many families are now struggling to afford either.”

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