Millions of households are paying higher rents and mortgages because of the hike in interest rates.
This extra burden on their income would be unwelcome at the best of times but it is especially painful when the country is in the grip of a cost of living crisis.
If they thought Jeremy Hunt had some sympathy for their plight they should think again. The complacent Chancellor yesterday said he is content to see rates keep rising even if that means a recession.
His comments echo his predecessor Norman Lamont who infamously claimed that unemployment was a price worth paying.
These words could only come from the mouths of Tory Chancellors.
They are so insulated from everyday life they have no understanding of how tough it is for those who are struggling to pay their bills.
Instead of making glib comments, Mr Hunt should remember the main reason Britain is in the doldrums is because his party has failed to nurture growth, jobs and investment.
Hives are alive
At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show they are making a buzz about bees.
The organisers are right to do so. About 84% of the plants we grow to eat rely on them and other insects to pollinate them.
Without the work of bees we would have not fruit, coffee, tea and chocolate.
Albert Einstein is credited with saying if bees “disappeared from the surface of the globe then man would only have four years
left to live”. Which is why we should all be alarmed that two-thirds of the pollinators in the UK are in decline.
Gardeners can do their bit by growing more insect-friendly plants but we also need to do more to protect our natural environment.
A happy feat
The world’s oldest footprint has been found on South Africa’s Cape coast.
The scientists who made the discovery are delighted – it’s put a spring in their step.
