Soaring energy bills and higher clothing and secondhand car prices push figure higher in January
Inflation in the UK increased to the highest rate for three decades in January as the impact of rising energy bills fed into a wide range of goods and services, adding to the squeeze on household living standards.
The Office for National Statistics said the consumer price index measure of inflation increased to 5.5% in January from 5.4% a month earlier, driven by prices for clothing, footwear and furniture.
