The SNP’s Shadow Chancellor has condemned Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss for failing to come up with a proper plan to help people through the cost-of-living crisis several weeks into the Tory leadership contest – and has demanded action now.
Alison Thewliss MP’s call follows comments and a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) criticising Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss for their tax plans and failing to come up with an “adequate” solution.
The recent IFS report revealed that permanent tax cuts of the sort being promised by the two Tory MPs hoping to replace Boris Johnson in No 10 would “exacerbate already substantial pressures on the public finances”.
Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:
“We are several weeks into the Tory leadership contest and still neither candidate has put forward a real plan to support people through the cost-of-living crisis.
“And the current PM is missing in action.
“The best either PM hopeful has come up with is to scrap the 5% VAT on domestic energy and axe the green energy levy.
“To be clear, there isn’t just one single green energy levy, and scrapping any green energy policy is pointless when the record-high increase to energy bills has absolutely nothing to do with the cost of decarbonisation.
“Truss and Sunak are living in fantasy land with their tax promises, or they are knowingly misleading the public on how effective they will be.
“Either way, their actions – or lack of – are dangerous for the millions who are struggling to make ends meet in this cost-of-living crisis.
“Households and businesses need the Westminster government to get a grip and use its reserved powers to take immediate and radical action to support them with record high energy bills.
“That means reversing the energy price cap rise, and recalling parliament immediately to deliver an emergency budget that provides the support people need – including scrapping VAT on fuel, doubling support for households, and introducing an energy price cap and grants for businesses.
“The meagre support currently available from the UK government won’t even scrape the sides for millions.
“With every day they fail to act, the Tories are demonstrating why Scotland needs to escape Westminster control and gain the full powers of independence.”
