Grim news about the UK economy keeps mounting. Last week, the Bank of England forecast a 15-month recession, with inflation peaking at more than 13 per cent. The energy price cap, which limits how much households can be charged, is now forecast to soar 80 per cent in October from today’s record levels, pushing many into a dire choice between heating and eating over the winter. Mortgage and rental costs are also rising. Yet with the government paralysed as it awaits the outcome of a Conservative leadership contest that is still ignoring the scale of the problem, there is still no clear and realistic near-term cost of living strategy — just when the most vulnerable need it the most.
英國經濟真是壞訊息不斷。上週英國央行(BOE)預測會有一段15個月的衰退期，而通膨將在超過13%的水準見頂。家庭的能源價格上限已經處於歷史最高水準，而根據當前的預測，這一上限到10月時將再上漲80%，許多人將面臨在冬天是取暖還是喫飯的艱難選擇。按揭和租房成本也在上漲。然而，保守黨黨魁之爭尚不知結果（這場角逐中的候選人目前仍然忽略了生活成本危機的嚴重性），政府癱瘓，因此目前仍然沒有明確且切合實際的短期應對策略，而這正是最脆弱人羣最需要政府拿出相應策略的時候。