Chancellor must act to support families through Tory cost of living crisis.
Following the news that prices in shops rose at the fastest rate in over a decade, the SNP has demanded the Chancellor wake up to reality and announce an emergency budget that will put money in people’s pockets during the Tory cost-of-living crisis.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed today that shop price inflation jumped from 1.5% in January to 1.8% in February, marking the highest rate of inflation recorded since November 2011.
The SNP has said the labour shortage and additional red tape for trade as a result of the Tories’ hard Brexit has been a significant factor in the sharp rise in cost for ordinary families.
Commenting, SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP said:
“It is ordinary families across Scotland and the UK that are being hit the hardest by this Tory made cost-of-living crisis – it’s time Rishi Sunak woke up to this reality and did something about it.
“The SNP has repeatedly called for the UK government to introduce an emergency budget that delivers a Real Living Wage, reverses the £1040 cut to Universal Credit, matches the SNP Scottish Government’s game-changing Scottish Child Payment, and change his callous energy loan into a more generous grant.
“This is a clear and feasible plan that would put money in people’s pockets immediately to support them as energy and food costs continue to rise at an alarming pace.
“It’s remarkable that the Tories can find money for refurbishments and jets and flags and a £4 billion tax cut for banks – but not to help ordinary families.
“While the Scottish Government is doing what it can with its limited powers to help families tackle this crisis, the Chancellor – by ignoring our calls – continues to undermine these efforts.
“For every step we take forward, billionaires like Rishi Sunak drag us back.
“That is why the only way to keep Scotland safe from this corrupt, dysfunctional, outdated Westminster system is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a fairer society for all.”
