Labour leader Keir Starmer upped the pressure on the two Conservative candidates to be the next Prime Minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, but unveiling a plan to freeze the price cap, to be funded by higher taxation of the energy giants. Ms Truss last week defended the eye-watering profits of energy companies at a time when millions are worrying about how they are going to pay their bills this winter.

Money saving expert Martin Lewis has warned the cost of living crisis is as serious an emergency as the pandemic and requires a similar response from the Government. In its latest statistics release, the Ministry of Justice said: “Residual Covid restrictions have all been lifted and bailiffs are now working to reduce backlogs.

“Although numbers remain about 33% below pre-Covid levels, they are rising steadily, when compared to the same period last quarter.” During the pandemic, the Government slapped a ban on residential evictions to ease the pressure on struggling families.