Inflation falls again but soaring food prices leave a bitter taste

Food price inflation of 16.8 per cent is taking a terrible toll on the poorest Britons, writes James Moore

Inflation eased slightly last month but cost pressures remained intense for cash-strapped households as food prices hit another 45-year high (PA)

Let’s start with the good news. Inflation fell to 10.5 per cent in December – bang in line with City forecasts – down from 10.7 per cent in November. Indeed, it may have peaked in October when it hit 11.1 per cent.

However, there isn’t much else in the way of the positives to be had from the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

We’ll know the price hellscape we currently occupy will be over when inflation stops making headlines; there’s no fear of that with prices still rising at a 10.5 per cent clip.