Pictured: SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP.
Responding to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech at the Tory party conference, the SNP’s Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss MP said:
“Rishi Sunak’s speech failed on every level. It was loaded with soundbites but empty on substance to tackle the Tory-made cost of living crisis facing households across the UK.
“There was nothing to address the significant number of households being plunged into poverty due to the impending cut to Universal Credit, nothing on the impact of the premature move to scrap the furlough scheme, nothing on the impact of regressive Tory tax hikes, nothing to rule out another decade of Tory austerity, and nothing on the meaningful investment needed to secure a strong and fair recovery from the pandemic.
“His move to strip away £6 billion of support through the Universal Credit uplift – straight from the pockets of some of the lowest-income families across the UK – and attempt to cover it up with £1 billion announced so far is a classic Tory con-trick.
“The grim reality is that this deliberate political choice will push struggling people over the brink.
“The UK already has the worst levels of poverty and inequality in north west Europe – and under Boris Johnson in-work poverty has risen to record levels this century.
“And with Brexit playing a major role in the staff shortages, empty supermarket shelves, soaring costs, and the ongoing fuel crisis, things are set to get worse.
“The SNP will continue to press for support to be strengthened, but ultimately the only way to keep Scotland safe from Tory cuts and the long-term damage of Brexit is to become an independent country, with the full powers needed to build a strong, fair and equal recovery.”
