Inflation eases on both counts

Inflation fell in October on both main measures. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), it was down to 5.4% from September’s figure of 5.6%.

Falls in the price of food, thanks to heavy supermarket discounting, and in air travel, helped to push the inflation rate lower.

Under the government’s preferred measure — the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) — inflation was down to 5.0% from 5.2% in September.