SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP has called on the UK Labour Government to “come clean” about their plans for spending cuts amid growing concerns over a potential return to austerity.
The warning follows two days of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves refusing to rule out budget cuts in the forthcoming spending review.
Their silence comes despite previous assurances from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who pledged during the last election campaign: “Read my lips – no austerity under Labour.”
In the House of Commons, Stephen Flynn directly pressed the Chancellor to clarify her position, asking:
“Will the Chancellor do what the Prime Minister refused to do yesterday and rule out future spending cuts?”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves dodged the question, responding:
“I’m not going to write 5 years’ worth of budgets in the first six months of the Labour Government.”
Flynn expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, pointing out that voters had been promised no return to austerity.
“Scottish voters will remember Anas Sarwar’s confident promise that there would be no austerity under Labour,” he said.
“But after listening to Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves in recent days, it’s hard not to conclude that Labour austerity is on the way.”
Flynn accused the Labour Government of withholding the truth about looming spending cuts while private briefings from the Treasury suggest they are inevitable.
“The Treasury is whispering in private that cuts are coming, but Ministers won’t admit it publicly,” he said.
“This government cannot continue to avoid the question – it’s time for Labour to own up to their plans to impose harsh spending cuts after 14 years of Tory austerity.”
Flynn also criticised Labour’s broader economic strategy, arguing that the party has boxed itself into a corner.
“Labour shut down every avenue for meaningful economic growth by sticking to a rigid fiscal framework and ruling out rejoining the EU single market,” he said.
He highlighted Labour’s controversial decisions, including the National Insurance tax hike, which he said had worsened the UK’s economic challenges.
“They ignored every warning, and now families and businesses across the UK are paying the price for Labour’s decisions,” Flynn said.
Flynn urged the Chancellor to reverse what he described as the “damage” inflicted by Labour’s budget and take immediate action to steer the economy away from a potential crisis.
“Instead of shrugging off responsibility, the Chancellor must act now to undo the harm caused by Labour’s economic missteps,” he said.
He warned that without urgent intervention, the consequences would be dire for millions of households and businesses.
“Scottish families and small businesses will suffer if the Labour Government stays on this dangerous path to economic failure,” Flynn added.
As Labour faces mounting pressure to clarify its fiscal plans, the spotlight remains firmly on the Chancellor and Prime Minister to address the concerns of voters and MPs alike.