Catherine McKinnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury, responding to today’s inflation figures, said:

“This small fall in the inflation rate is welcome, but with prices still rising much faster than wages the cost-of-living crisis continues. Families and pensioners are still set to face inflation-busting hikes in energy prices this winter, which the ONS says are not in today’s figures.

“After three damaging years of flatlining, working people are on average £1600 a year worse off. But the Autumn Statement failed to set out a plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and earn our way to higher living standards for the many and not just a few.

“Labour would freeze energy bills until 2017 while we reform the energy market, make work pay by expanding free childcare for working parents and get at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020.

“By opposing all these measures and giving a huge tax cut to people earning over £150,000 David Cameron has shown he only stands up for a privileged few.”