Labour urges spending watchdog to assess impact of chancellor’s £21bn package

Shadow Treasury secretary asks Office for Budget Responsibility to examine Rishi Sunak's emergency cost of living measures

Labour has called for an independent assessment of whether Rishi Sunak's 21bn cost of living emergency package could cause inflation to rise even higher and a verdict on the fiscal impact of substantial borrowing.

Pat McFadden, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, wrote to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to ask it to analyse the impact of the measures.