The UK’s annual inflation rate fell sharply to 6.8% in July, from 7.9% in June. The drop in energy prices over the past year led to the smallest increase in the cost of living since February 2022. The data was hailed by prime minister Rishi Sunak, who said halving inflation was his number one priority. The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said inflation is “causing enormous pressure on families up and down the country” and “There is absolutely no room for complacency in the battle against inflation”. Inflation remains well above the Bank of England’s target of 2%, and a rate of 6.8% means prices continue to increase. The rate for annual food inflation was much higher than the core rate, standing at 14.9%. The deputy Labour leader, Angela Rayner, called the fall in inflation a “relief”, but said “we didn’t have to be here”. She blamed the Tory government for crashing the economy and not providing growth. Rayner also asserted her position within Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet during her morning media appearances, declaring: “I will be deputy prime minister and I will be the deputy leader of the Labour party.” The Liberal Democrats have accused prime minister Sunak of being “woefully out of touch” after he appeared to claim that people do not understand the level of support being given to them on energy bills. The annual government expenditure and revenue Scotland (Gers) figures show that according to its calculations Scotland’s deficit has reduced to 9% of GDP. Last year’s Gers figures recorded Scotland deficit as 12.3% of GDP. The UK’s equivalent deficit figure was 5.2% of GDP. The figures reveal that North Sea revenue was at its highest-ever level at £9.4bn, reflecting high energy prices. Scotland’s wellbeing economy secretary, Neil Gray, hailed the reduction. He also claimed a “full £1bn” of the deficit in Scotland was “the direct result of the UK government’s mismanagement of the public finances”. Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Michael Marra said: “Today’s statistics plainly show the economic benefit that Scots receive as part of the UK.” Junior doctors in Scotland have voted conclusively to accept the latest pay offer from the Scottish government, BMA Scotland has said. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has again asked three councils to permit new signs warning drivers of the expansion of the capital’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to be installed on their land. Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire county councils, all of which border Greater London and have Conservative majorities, have all declined to have Transport for London (TfL) funded and managed signs installed which would warn drivers. The boss of Britain’s biggest insurer, Aviva, has said there are “big opportunities” in expanding private health cover in the UK as the strain on the NHS grows and waiting lists for treatments hit record highs. A former solicitor general has called for a public inquiry into the wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson after the Guardian revealed that the police had key DNA evidence 16 years before he was cleared of rape. London councils are having to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money repairing vandalised bollards and cameras in LTNs. The Captain Tom Foundation is under renewed scrutiny after reports its co-founder Hannah Ingram-Moore was paid thousands of pounds via a family company for appearances linked to the charity that bears her father’s name. This blog will be closing shortly. Thank you for all your comments as ever, especially on what has been such a slow news day with a lot of English politicians clearly focussed elsewhere. I will be back with you tomorrow.