Andy Burnham has been accused of failing to confront growing warnings of another cost of living squeeze as households prepare for autumn and winter.
The SNP says a series of economic warning signs during the past week could feed through into higher fuel, food and energy costs from September onwards.
UK inflation rose to 2.9% in July, its highest level for four months, adding to concerns about the continuing pressure on household budgets.
Oil prices have also moved above $90 a barrel, potentially adding further pressure to fuel and energy costs.
Meanwhile, UK ten year gilt yields reached 5.155%, their highest level since 2007, while Treasury borrowing was £2.3 billion higher than forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The SNP has brought those developments together to argue that households could be heading towards another difficult winter and that the UK Government needs to set out what support it intends to provide.
SNP Westminster Leader Dave Doogan MP said:
“The next damaging wave of Westminster’s cost of living tsunami is about to hit and yet all summer Andy Burnham has had his head firmly planted in the sand.
“While the new UK Prime Minister has been on his summer ‘listening tour’, he has been deliberately deaf to the single biggest issue that will hit families this autumn and winter.
“Good vibes and good social media will do nothing to ease the cost of living crisis for families, the Burnham government needs to urgently set out how they intend to put money in people’s pockets.
“A good start would be to put right the Labour Party’s broken promise to cut energy bills by £300.
“The truth is that Andy Burnham can’t hide from Brexit Britain’s economic reality any longer.
“This week has witnessed one economic warning after another, with the UK looking set for higher prices at the pumps this September, even higher energy bills come October and food prices soaring ahead of Christmas.
“The new Prime Minister has talked about giving people ‘breathing space’ but if he doesn’t act now family finances in Scotland and across the UK will be at breaking point.”
The warnings over household finances come as attention also turns towards the next energy price cap, which will apply during the opening months of winter.
For households across the Highlands and Islands, increases in fuel and energy costs can be particularly difficult because of longer travelling distances, colder weather and the additional costs associated with rural living.
The economic figures do not by themselves establish that fuel, food and energy prices will all rise by the amounts suggested by the SNP.
They do, however, provide the backdrop to a renewed political argument over household finances as summer draws to a close.
With September approaching and winter bills not far behind, pressure is likely to grow on the UK Government to explain what it intends to do if household costs begin climbing again.
