Eilidh Munro has said the UK Government is failing to address the cost of living crisis, as new figures highlight the scale of rising costs.
The candidate pointed to analysis from the House of Commons Library showing prices in the UK are 28% higher than the EU average, with the country ranked among the worst affected for rising living costs.
She said the impact is being felt sharply across the Highlands, where higher fuel, food and energy costs place added pressure on households.
“The continued Westminster-made cost of living crisis is hitting Scottish households hard, in our weekly shop, filling up our cars and paying our energy bills.
“Other countries are taking action, so why isn’t the UK Government doing anything meaningful to help people, when they hold the levers of power in these areas?”
The SNP has outlined plans to introduce measures aimed at ensuring households can afford essential goods, including proposals around food pricing.
There are also renewed calls for greater control over energy policy to be transferred to Scotland, with the aim of reducing household energy bills.
“Highland families are paying a high price for a broken Britain with a stagnant economy, held hostage to bad decisions by politicians in London for whom Scotland is simply not a priority.
“This election, the SNP is vowing to fight the cost of living through ambitious policies such as a cap on key food items, which builds on the best cost-of-living support anywhere in the UK, including free prescriptions, bus fare caps, the abolition of peak fares, free school meals, and free higher education.
“We urgently need control of our own energy policy in Scotland, to put Scotland’s energy in Scotland’s hands.
“It is a stark injustice that Scotland produces far more energy than we can hope to use, but pay the highest energy bills anywhere in Europe.
“The SNP will fight for an immediate transfer of powers in the next parliament, and the right to choose an independent future, working more closely with our European neighbours.
“It is simply not right that Highland households can be charged much higher standing charges than households in the south of England, while heating oil and LPG consumers remain unprotected from sharp price rises.”
Munro also criticised wider political responses to the crisis, arguing that long term economic decisions have contributed to current pressures on public services and household finances.
“British establishment parties like the Liberal Democrats are promising a lot but often, their candidates are part of the problem, especially those who have been long-standing Tories who have recently jumped ship in order to boost their election chances.
“We should not forget that our public services have still not recovered from the Tory-Lib Dem UK Government’s horrific austerity measures.
“In this election, it’s clear that the SNP is the only party that will stand up to the UK Government and always prioritise the needs of Scots.”
The comments come as cost of living pressures remain a central issue in the election campaign, particularly in rural areas where higher travel and energy costs continue to shape household budgets.
