This is how much everyday food items have increased since the Brexit vote The People’s Vote campaign says the falling value of the pound has contributed

Scots are already spending more than £400 a year more on everyday household items than they would be if the UK had voted to stay part of the EU, according to research published on Tuesday.

The falling value of the pound since the Brexit vote in June 2016 has caused inflation to increase at a faster rate than other Eurozone countries, the study by the People’s Vote campaign says.

“These figures show Brexit is already hitting everyone’s pockets in Scotland hard, and we haven’t even left the EU yet” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Emma Currie

This means that the price of everyday food and drink items has risen faster than it would have if the UK had chosen to remain part of the EU, it argues.

The group, which is campaigning for another referendum on the final Brexit deal, said the figures were “especially galling” for people in Scotland as most of them voted to remain.

However, the research was disputed by the Scottish Conservatives, which described the study as “far fetched and unconvincing” as it made simplistic assumptions about the causes of inflation.

Food June 2016 June 2018 Change Bread, white sliced loaf 800g £0.99 £1.05 £0.06 Sausages, per kg £4.52 £4.97 £0.45 Ham, per 113g £1.69 £1.79 £0.10 Milk, per pint £0.43 £0.44 £0.01 Cheddar, per kg £7.16 £7.30 £0.14 Butter, per 250g £1.36 £1.79 £0.43 Apples, per kg £1.98 £2.11 £0.13 Bananas, per kg £0.85 £0.93 £0.08 Tomatoes, per kg £2.01 £2.16 £0.15 Lettuce, iceberg, each £0.51 £0.58 £0.07 Sugar, granulated, per kg £0.61 £0.73 £0.12 Whiskey nip £2.69 £2.87 £0.18 Wine, per 175ml glass £3.60 £3.81 £0.21 Broccoli £1.41 £1.7 £0.29 Salmon Fillet per kg £15.07 £17.89 £2.81 Coffee, ground per 227g £2.77 £3.03 £0.26 Source: ONS

The research cites ONS figures showing that between June 2016 and June this year, inflation in the UK has caused the prices of everyday items to increase by 4.95 per cent.

Source: ONS

Comparing this to inflation among Eurozone countries over the same period, it says the difference between the two illustrates how much the Brexit vote is already costing people.

Shopping bills

It says the average Scottish household’s shopping bills have increased by £417 a year, driven by rises in the prices of everyday items such as sliced bread, milk and butter.

In June 2016 the price of 250g of butter averaged £1.36 but now costs £1.79, an increase of 43p. Coffee has also seen a 26p increase for a 227g bag, while sausages are up 45p per kg.

“These figures show Brexit is already hitting everyone’s pockets in Scotland hard, and we haven’t even left the EU yet,” said People’s Vote supporter Emma Currie.

“Uncertainty and the risk of no-deal or a bad deal is already having an impact on our economy. That’s really frustrating for so many Scots who voted to stay part of the EU by a large margin.”

Earlier this month the British Retail Consortium said food prices were being pushed up by Europe’s cold spring and hot summer, with the trend expected to continue into the autumn.

A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said it was wrong to include alcohol prices, which had increased across the board in Scotland due to the introduction of minimum unit pricing in May.

He added: “There are any number of things that can contribute to price rises. Simply blaming Brexit, something that hasn’t happened yet, is fanciful.

“No-one doubts there will be challenges thrown up by leaving the EU, as well as opportunities, but this research is far fetched and unconvincing.”