Facts on Prices

Gambling spend down since 2008 on average

Licensed gambling has grown 40% over the last decade. However, this is largely because before 2014 non-UK online gambling firms weren’t counted.

Bus fares have risen faster than wages since 2010

The Labour leadership candidate said that bus fares have risen 60% in 10years, which is correct using one estimate, but doesn’t take the change in wages into account.

Labour claims about savings under their policies are not credible

These figures are not credible and do not represent what “average families” will save under Labour’s policies.

The price of Freddos has risen five times faster than inflation

A humorous post compares the rise in price of Freddos to increases in the minimum wage. Both have risen above inflation over the last two decades.

Wage growth is only the fastest in a decade if you ignore inflation

Weekly wages in cash terms are rising at their fastest rate in a decade. But accounting for inflation it’s only the fastest for two years.

Water rip-off? Are water bills up 40% since privatisation?

Bills rose sharply after privatisation in 1989 but have been falling slightly in recent years.

How have wages changed over the past decade?

The UK average weekly wage has fallen from around £540 to £520 in real terms over the past 10 years. Wages have levelled off since 2016.

The government hasn’t u-turned on energy price caps

The government did introduce legislation to allow for temporary energy tariff caps, as promised in the 2017 Conservative manifesto.

Are rail fares out of control?

The average rail fare in Britain has increased by 20% in real terms since 1995, though it dropped by 1% between 2017 and 2018.

Are we spending more than half our income on rent?

There are 12 local authorities where the person on the average salary would have to spend 60% or more of their income to pay the average private rent.