'Chancellor Bean': Jeremy Hunt mocked for using coffee cups to explain inflation in cringey video

18 January 2023, 12:23 | Updated: 18 January 2023, 14:43

Critics from both sides of the political aisle have taken aim at Jeremy Hunt for a video in which he tries to explain inflation through the medium of coffee.

The chancellor orders a flat white in the video, before using a series of cups to illustrate how the price of coffee has gone up due to factors like energy price increases driven by the war in Ukraine, and Covid.

Mr Hunt goes on to pledge that the government will halve the headline consumer price index, which is currently at more than 10% annually. He says that the government is investing more in renewables and nuclear power, to reduce reliance on gas prices.

The clip, which was posted on the Treasury's social media accounts, has been roundly mocked for maths and grammar errors, including subtitles referring to the "peoples priorities", missing an apostrophe.

The video also includes a continuity error, as Mr Hunt has a coffee delivered to his table, and picks up another from the barista as he walks out.

Much of the criticism came from people claiming that Mr Hunt was not acknowledging any government responsibility for the inflation, despite the Conservatives having been in power for nearly 13 years.

The National Education Union (NEU) whose members will strike in February and March, said: "This week our members voted to strike in one of the biggest ballots in history. This is the Government response to rising prices and falling wages".

Some liberal critics said the video failed to mention Brexit, which the Bank of England has said is one of the drivers of the UK's high inflation rate.

Writer Otto English said: "TV quiz idea "the elephant in the room". Ministers have to talk about a problem for two minutes without actually mentioning one of the critical reasons for it".

And author Craig Stone added: "Cup 1). Not our fault. Cup 2). Not our fault. Cup 3). Not our fault". WHERE IS THE MISSING BREXIT CUP, MR. HUNT?"

Others attacked Mr Hunt from the right, pointing out he did not talk about quantitative easing by successive governments, another cause of inflation.

Economist Christopher Snowdon said: "You tackle inflation with quantitative tightening and a higher bank rate, neither of which are mentioned in this patronising video.

"Instead, he's going to reduce inflation by, er, investing in nuclear. How long's that going to take?!"

Tory former education secretary Kit Malthouse simply asked: "Money supply?"

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party all rushed to criticise the video.

Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called the video "patronising"

"If anyone should brush up on ‘Economics for Dummies’ - it’s the Tory ministers who cost our economy billions and hammered incomes," he added.

A Labour source told the MailOnline that "the Chancellor's 'not me guv' explainer misses out the fundamental fact that the British public have been so exposed to economic shocks and the energy crisis because of 13 years of Tory failure and his party's chaos crashing the economy. 

"This is about more than the price of coffee - it's about people's mortgages and energy bills going through the roof, their fears for the future, and the government having no plan to address it."

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Read more: UK inflation falls for second month in a row but food prices are still on the rise

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "The last thing families need right now is a Mr Bean-esque video from the same clueless party that crashed the economy and sent mortgage bills spiralling.

"What's even more shocking is that Jeremy Hunt airbrushed one of the main causes of economic pain – Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget that resulted in the biggest tax hike for a generation."

It comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday that the rate of inflation fell for the second month in a row in December, with some analysts suggesting that the cost of living crisis was beginning to ease.

Inflation fell to 10.5% in the year to December, compared to 10.7% in November.A fall in fuel prices led to the drop, along with clothing and footwear.

The cost of food has also continued to rise - by 16.9% in the 12 months to December 2022, up from 16.5%, at the highest rate since September 1977.

Inflation is still close to a 40-year high.