I asked the Chancellor to admit to the 8,600 mortgage holders in Chesterfield facing an average mortgage increase of £1,900 per year that whilst he blames global factors, he won’t explain why it is more severe for local people than it is for our European neighbours

Toby Perkins: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The 8,600 mortgage holders in Chesterfield, who have seen their mortgage increase by an average of £1900 a year, will be very much conscious that in the Chancellor’s response he is very happy to blame global factors but when he is asked about those specific countries, like France, like Germany, the major European nations, where the outcomes are not as bad as they are here in the UK, he quickly deflects and says ‘well I’d like to talk about Australia or Canada’. Will he answer the question that my Hon. Friend from Leeds West has asked and explain why it is worse for constituents of mine in Chesterfield than it is in France, than it is in Germany and it is in other countries he has been asked about?

Chancellor: I mean, the truth is that you can pick countries in Europe where things have not been as severe as here, but you can pick countries in Europe where they have been more severe such as the 14 EU countries which have got higher core inflation.