UK inflation eased last month to its lowest rate in 15 months in a temporary boost for the new Prime Minister ahead of a jump in the household energy price cap.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed today that the rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation fell to 2.6 per cent in June from 2.8 per cent in May.This was the lowest level since March 2025 and comes after food and fuel prices dropped in an early encouragement for the cost-of-living-focused Andy Burnham.The drop is bigger than expected, given most economists had predicted a sharp fall in petrol and diesel prices would have helped pull the rate down to 2.7 per cent.But the Conservatives said the inflation rate remaining above the 2 per cent target was 'deeply concerning for families' and condemned Mr Burnham for having 'already made billions of pounds of spending commitments without any plan to pay for them'. The rate of food and non-alcoholic drink inflation was 1.7 per cent, down from 2.2 per cent the previous month amid 'intense competition between supermarkets'. Average petrol prices declined by 2.1p per litre between May and June, while diesel prices dropped by 10.7p per litre. This marked the first time petrol had eased since the start of the Middle East conflict in February, which sent oil and gas prices soaring.But while prices were lower month-on-month, overall motor fuel prices remained 21.3 per cent higher in the year to June - showing how the war has hiked the UK's cost of living.The RAC previously said the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts dropped by more than 16p from the start to end of June – the largest fall since records began in 2000.This was driven by news of an interim ceasefire deal between the US and Iran, prompting oil prices to fall below pre-crisis levels.While energy prices have dropped, economists are viewing this as temporary relief before Ofgem's new energy price cap took effect at the beginning of July.