Major stories affecting Britain — including government, public services, policing, immigration policy, councils, the economy and public spending.
Almost three-quarters of businesses are worried about energy prices, according to new official figures, with hotels, restaurants and other hospitality businesses reporting the highest levels of concern.
The Bank of England says mortgage credit availability fell in the latest quarter, while separate figures show approvals for house purchases dropped to 54,900 in August.
Inflation climbed from 2.9% to 3.1% in August, with motor fuel prices making the biggest contribution to the increase in the annual rate.
The energy price cap increased by 4% from 1 October, with the annualised benchmark reaching £1,723 for a typical household paying by Direct Debit.
Government borrowing reached £18.3 billion in August, rising by £2.9 billion compared with a year earlier and exceeding the official monthly forecast.
Job vacancies declined to an estimated 702,000 in the three months to August, while unemployment remained at 4.9% in the latest Labour Force Survey figures.
The cost of borrowing money for the UK Government has climbed to levels not seen since 2007, adding to concerns about the pressure facing Britain's public finances.
