Double blow to Healey as inflation rises to 3.5% and monthly deficit hits £24bn

Consumer prices rise by more than expected while government’s debt interest payments surge to record high for September Inflation surged to 3.5% last month while the government deficit was a worse-than-forecast £24.5bn, in a double dose of bad news for John Healey before next week’s budget. The Office for National Statistics said annual inflation rose from 3.1% in August , overshooting City forecasts of a rise in…