Rishi Sunak told to trigger general election if inflation target not met

Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant described the Prime Minister as ‘literally the worst person’ to be leading the country through a cost-of-living crisis.

Rishi Sunak faced accusations at Prime Minister’s Questions that he ‘created’ the cost-of-living crisis (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) (PA Wire)

Rishi Sunak has faced calls to trigger a general election if he fails to hit his inflation reduction target.

The Prime Minister was described in the Commons as “literally the worst person” to be leading the country through a cost-of-living crisis because he “created it”.

Mr Sunak sought to brush off the attacks from the Labour benches during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, and criticised the Opposition’s plans for the economy, insisting he is “making difficult and tough decisions”.

He has previously pledged to halve the rate of inflation by the end of the year.

The Bank of England last week raised interest rates – adding to the mortgage misery for many – in a bid to tackle inflation, which has stuck at 8.7%.

Speaking in the Commons, Labour MP Alison McGovern (Wirral South) said Mr Sunak has promised to reduce inflation to 5% or lower by the end of the year before asking: “What will happen if he fails to meet that promise?

“Will it be yet more ranting on about the Labour Party or will it be the general election my constituents crave?”

Mr Sunak replied: “No, we’re sticking to the course of bringing inflation down.

“What the Labour Party needs to understand is that requires making difficult and tough decisions. It requires prioritising. It requires being able to say ‘no’ when people come looking, asking you to borrow more money.

“Those are the type of responsible decisions that I will make and the Conservative Government will make because they’re the right ones for the country.”

The Prime Minister has had responsibility for the UK economy now for 1,323 days and he's delivered... He's delivered the largest national peacetime debt ever, the largest tax burden since the Second World War, the highest core inflation since 1991, the fastest interest rate rises since 1989 and the biggest fall in living standards in our history

Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant

Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant (Rhondda) earlier said: “The Prime Minister has had responsibility for the UK economy now for 1,323 days and he’s delivered…

“He’s delivered the largest national peacetime debt ever, the largest tax burden since the Second World War, the highest core inflation since 1991, the fastest interest rate rises since 1989 and the biggest fall in living standards in our history.

“So will he stop lecturing my constituents about holding their nerve, ditch the lame excuses and admit that he is literally the worst person to be leading this country through a cost-of-living crisis because as he created it?”

Mr Sunak, in his reply, said: “What do we hear from the party opposite? Only ideas that would make the situation far worse.”

He said Sir Chris has “sat there and supported” plans from Labour to borrow more money, claimed “unaffordable” union pay demands would “make the situation worse”, adding: “And (Sir Chris) has sat there and supported plans to not exploit our domestic sources of energy, imperilling our energy security.

“Those are all things that would make not just the situation worse for British families today but for years into the future.”

Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville-Roberts said: “The Prime Minister’s solution to inflation is to push families into poverty while letting corporate profits pile up.

“The IMF (International Monetary Fund) said this week that the way to cut inflation is for companies to cut their profit margins. It’s corporate greed fuelling inflation, not workers’ need for fair pay.

“Can he explain to the one in five people in Wales facing hunger because they cannot afford to buy decent food why they must pay his price for lowering inflation?”

Mr Sunak said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt met economic regulators on Wednesday morning in a bid to “ensure fairness of pricing” and said the IMF has “strongly endorsed” the UK Government’s plans to reduce inflation.