Inflation hits 40-year high: What was life like in Britain the last time things were so dire in 1982

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Inflation in the UK has soared to 9 per cent in the 12 months to April, having stood at 7 per cent in March, marking its fastest surge in 40 years as the cost of living crisis bites.

Soaring energy bills coupled with higher fuel and food costs exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine are behind the steep climb, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).