Jeremy Hunt’s attempt to explain rising inflation with a stack of empty coffee cups has been mocked online.
A social media video showing the Chancellor ordering a flat white before explaining why costs are rising was criticised over its punctuation, maths and the failure to mention Brexit, the huge amounts of money pumped into the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic or the impact of Liz Truss’s economic policies.
The Chancellor held up a cup marked £2.56 and said a year ago a coffee cost “around £2.50”, before holding up another with £2.86 on it, which he described as “nearly £3 a cup”. Factors contributing to inflation which is “about 10%” – the latest figures for December put CPI inflation at 10.5% – included the supply chain squeeze after the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and persistently high energy prices.
