RISHI Sunak responded to an SNP call for action on the “cost of greed crisis” over supermarket prices by lashing out at the Scottish Government’s recycling scheme.
Stephen Flynn took Sunak to task at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, accusing the Government of failing to take adequate action on the price of food – which continues to climb despite a dip in the rate of inflation.
Flynn accused Chancellor Jeremy Hunt of dragging his heels on taking action with supermarkets to force prices down – and stressed the need for urgency, warning that families “can’t afford to wait much longer”.
Sunak insisted the Chancellor had met with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to “discuss the situation in the grocery industry” but said the body was independent of the Government and it was up to the organisation to make decisions.
Flynn said: “We learn today that the price of milk, cheese and eggs are up 29%. The price of pasta – it’s up 27%. The price of a loaf of bread, 18%. Does the Prime Minister agree that this is no longer just a cost of living crisis, this is a cost of greed crisis?”
Sunak said he agreed the price of food was “too high” but said similar scenarios were playing out across Europe.
He said: “It was welcome that inflation has fallen today, but as the Chancellor has said we should not be complacent because there is more work to do.
“[Flynn] is right to highlight the impact of food inflation, which is too high, common here in levels that we’ve seen in other European countries, like Sweden and Germany.
🗣️ 'Does the Prime Minister agree that this is no longer just a cost of living crisis? This is a cost of greed crisis?' @StephenFlynnSNP was left looking unimpressed at Rishi Sunak's answer to his question pic.twitter.com/8OwCrh987m
— The National (@ScotNational) May 24, 2023
“We are providing significant to help people with the cost of living and the Chancellor has met with the companies in the supermarket and food supply chain to make sure that they are doing everything they can to bring prices down.”
Flynn said the Prime Minister had to “get real” and urged him to say when the CMA’s review would conclude.
“Let’s get real because the food inflation remains at a near-45-year high,” said the SNP MP.
“Now, yesterday the Treasury indicated stands ready to act, but his actions seem to be predicated on the outcome of a review by the [Competition] and Market Authority. So can the Prime Minister perhaps enlighten us: When does he expect that review to conclude? Because working families can’t afford to wait much longer.”
Sunak then hit out at the SNP – taking aim at the troubled and delayed launch of the Scottish Government’s Deposit Return Scheme – which was met with fury from the SNP benches.
He said: “The CMA is independent of Government but the Chancellor did meet with them recently to discuss the situation in the grocery industry and it will be for the CMA to make decisions on that.
“But we’re doing everything we can to help consumers manage the challenges of the cost of living, but if the SNP wanted to do their bit maybe they could reconsider their deposit return scheme, which has been, it’s very clear what people have said, it will … as people have said it will, it will reduce choice and increase prices for consumers.”
