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New Year’s Cheer in Short Supply for Britons Battling Inflation

  • Shoppers cutting back on fruit, alcohol and going out
  • Illness and depression are taking their toll on Britons
Increasing prices have already forced people to buy less.

Increasing prices have already forced people to buy less.

Photographer: Dominic Lipinski/Bloomberg

Soaring prices and a wave of strikes are weighing Britons down as residents of the UK capital prepare for what promises to be a muted New Year’s Eve for many.

“We’d normally get fizzy wine, but now we’ll just get a couple of cheap bottles,” said Paul Cullinan, a retired doctor, outside a Tesco supermarket in east London on Friday. “Everything’s toned down a bit.”