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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

The government tell us inflation was 3% last month. Presumably this is to give us a feeling of well being and to keep wage claims low.

But how is this 3% figure possible. We all know that food, council tax, heating, petrol have gone up by 20% or more in the last year.

I've looked into this and inflation is calculated by a "shopping basket" of approximately 650 supposedly everyday items each month.

It includes the aforementioned heating petrol etc. but also includes many items that we buy infrequently and which are DEFLATING.

Eg - Digital cameras, Sat Navs, MP3 players, LCD TV, Broadband, Clothes, Fridges.

These items and many others should not be included in the inflation statistics, afterall you buy bread and milk everyday, a TV once every few years. They bring inflation down to give an unrealistic figure in the real world.

As the saying goes "There's lies , damn lies, and statistics."

[markrl]

I quite agree 3% inflation is a complete fantasy. Basically Gordon Brown swiched from something called the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The basic difference is that CPI does not include many household costs like mortgages council tax and household insurance etc. Consequently the CPI inflation rate is considerably lower then the RPI rate. The real inflation rate is now in the order of 7-8%.  

[HolyCount]

This is why, of course, increases in MP's expenses and salaries will be kept lower than 3% -- will they hell !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tony H]

Don't get me f*cking started one thing I've learnt over the years is M.p's always feather there own nests.

[TheBoy]

Don't get me f*cking started one thing I've learnt over the years is M.p's always feather there own nests.

And we pay for it as well