Cost of Christmas dinner rises more than twice as fast as some south western areas of Scotland wages

The cost of a Christmas dinner has risen more than twice as fast as monthly wages in some south western areas of Scotland over the past two years, analysis suggests.

The Trades Union Congress said a plan must be made to jumpstart the economy as working people struggle to cover costs this Christmas.

Using Office for National Statistics figures on inflation, the Stop the Squeeze coalition estimated the cost of a traditional Christmas dinner has risen 30% over the past two years.

Meanwhile, recent ONS data on wages shows the median monthly income for people in East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh and Lomond has risen 12% from £2,146 in November 2021 to £2,408 last month.

It means the Christmas dinner bill has grown 2.5 times faster than wages in the area.