[theo_luddite]

If inflation is only 10% I'll eat my hat. Relatively cheap items in the supermarkets have increased in price by over 30p let alone the more expensive ones. That's if they are on the shelves in the first place.

Energy prices have pretty much tripled in a year and it's not all due to Putin. The previous energy supplier I was with went bust 12 months ago, increasing my bills by 250% at the time and they will go up to north of 300% from tomorrow before the £400 rebate. I'd be surprised if anyone who isn't still on a fixed rate hasn't seen a similar increase.

According to the RAC website, the average pump price of petrol has gone from £1.10-£1.20/litre Jan 2021 to £1.40-£1.50/litre Jan 2022, was between £1.30-£1.40/litre last October, maxed out between £1.85-£1.95/litre in July and is now between £1.60 - £1.70/litre. Fortunately my mortgage and car loans are paid off so I don't have to worry about those going through the roof.

The pound started to slide when Putin invaded Ukraine, it dived on Friday and has come back to last Thursday's value thanks to the BoE stepping in to secure pensions etc. All the gains from last year have already been wiped out and more this year in my private pension pot. If you've got one, expect at least the same.

Otherwise no great surprise to see our "allies" questioning what we are doing. Lizzie Dripping managed to come over as what I'll politely call incompetent on all the BBC "Radio Local" stations yesterday and that's doing her a favour.