Debt, inflation, interest rates: five figures to understand the crisis affecting the United Kingdom

She has occupied 10 Downing Street for only three weeks, and already British Prime Minister Liz Truss is under fire from critics.

Even the International Monetary Fund has issued its warning.

It must be said that the economic and social situation of the country is increasingly worrying.

10%

Consumer prices have increased by ten percent in one year in the United Kingdom.

This inflation rate, which is the highest of the G7 countries, had not been observed by the National Statistics Office for forty years.

In detail, the British inflation rate reached 10.1% in July and fell very slightly to 9.9% in August.

And the pace is not about to slow down.

," said KPMG economist Yael Selfin.

Food and energy prices are driving this inflation rate upwards.

Between 100 and 200 billion pounds

The emergency plan announced by the British government is expected to cost the state between 100 and 200 billion pounds, according to economists.

As well as historic tax cuts, Liz Truss' government has also decided to freeze Britons' electricity and gas bills for two years and take over half of the country's business energy bills for six months .

This budget, considered extremely expensive by specialists and in particular the International Monetary Fund, is justified by “

”, defends the British Minister of Finance.

5 billion pounds a day

The Bank of England is setting itself a dizzying pace until 14 October.

Buying back £5bn of UK government debt on the markets every day to reassure creditors who have pushed up government borrowing rates after the announcement of the government's action plan to fight the coronavirus crisis. inflation.

The British reference rate, with a maturity of 10 years, exceeded 4.5% in session, a critical threshold.

The British pound, meanwhile, plunged to an all-time low.

A total of £65 billion will be spent by the central bank in this way.

This monetary policy, which consists of buying government bonds on the markets, paradoxically has the effect of feeding inflation.

One over four

In the United Kingdom, one in four households took out a variable rate loan to finance a housing project.

Unlike France, all debtors must also renegotiate their borrowing rate with their bank every two to five years.

A situation that worries economists across the Channel.

,” predicts Richard Murphy, professor of accounting at the University of Sheffield.

Indeed, the increase in the key rates of the British central bank, an essential measure to fight against inflation, mechanically leads to an increase in mortgage rates, some already exceeding 5%.

89% of trains not running

This Saturday in London, a demonstration brought together several thousand Britons, revolted against the galloping inflation which is undermining their budget.

“

”, “

” or even “

“, could we read on the signs brandished by demonstrators gathered at the call of several organizations.

The majority of Britons coldly welcomed the mini-budget presented by the government last week, despite its scale.

As a result of the mobilization, British rail was almost at a standstill on Saturday, with only 11% of trains in circulation.

Beyond the railway sector, dockers, postal workers, criminal lawyers and even garbage collectors have multiplied strike movements in recent months to demand wage increases in the face of the cost of living crisis.

The social discontent is not about to weaken, new calls for a strike next week have already been launched.