In a heated exchange in Parliament, Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart accused the current government of exacerbating inflation due to above-inflation pay raises and recent budget decisions. Inflation rates in the UK climbed to 2.3% in October, attributed partly to rising energy costs. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner countered by highlighting the government’s previous inflation struggles under former Prime Minister Liz Truss, suggesting improvements have been made. The debate underscores ongoing economic challenges heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic and external factors like the Ukraine conflict.