The Autumn Budget has drawn sharp criticism from Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey MP Graham Leadbitter who described the statement as an “outright shambles” and said it offered nothing to lift the pressure on households or support key Scottish industries.
The budget was overshadowed by the leak of Office for Budget Responsibility figures shortly before the Chancellor delivered her statement which prompted renewed questions over economic direction and political control at Westminster.
Leadbitter said the overall package falls far short of the change voters were promised and warned that the measures will add to the challenges already facing people across Moray and the wider Highlands.
“Today’s Autumn Budget was an outright shambles, capped off by the chaos of the OBR leak.
“It shows once again that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have no grip and no plan.”
“For the second year running, Labour has delivered nothing like the ‘change’ they promised.
“Instead, we’ve had tax hikes and rising costs that will hammer households and public services.
“With £26 billion of tax rises today, Reeves has now increased taxes by £66 billion across two budgets, seven times what Labour promised.
“There is nothing here to tackle the UK’s economic stagnation.
“The OBR has downgraded growth for every remaining year of this parliament and confirmed that none of today’s measures will change that.
“Meanwhile Scotland’s oil and gas industry, whisky sector, and rural communities, like my constituency of Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, are all being hit yet again.
“Brexit Britain is broken and under Labour it’s only getting worse.
“At the election next year, people in Scotland can choose a fresh start and secure our future with independence by voting SNP.”
The OBR figures released today confirmed that UK economic growth has been downgraded for each of the remaining years of the parliament, with productivity and investment remaining weak across the economy.
Inflation forecasts suggest continued pressure on household budgets into next year with energy, food and housing costs still outpacing wage growth in many parts of the country.
The budget also included a number of measures that will affect Scotland through the Barnett Formula, but analysts say the sums outlined today fall short of the level required to cover rising demand on public services.
Industry groups in the north have expressed concern over the impact on energy, whisky and rural sectors which have faced repeated fiscal changes over recent years, adding uncertainty to industries that play a major role in Moray’s economy.
Local businesses have highlighted rising operational costs, skills shortages and transport pressures as ongoing challenges, with today’s budget offering limited new support for rural and regional economies.
The reaction from Moray marks another chapter in the wider debate over the direction of the UK economy which has faced downgraded forecasts, rising borrowing and continued questions over long term planning.
With a General Election expected next year, the response to the Autumn Budget is likely to play a central role in shaping political choices across Scotland.
