Blackford: "Scotland faces a choice of two futures"
Wednesday, 3 March 2021 14:10
The SNP has said the UK Budget marks "a return to Tory austerity
cuts" - failing to deliver the investment required to tackle the
Tory child poverty crisis and deliver a fair recovery. Responding
to the Budget, Ian Blackford said Rishi Sunak had "failed to
deliver the meaningful change and investment needed to build a
fairer society" and had imposed damaging Tory cuts including a
public sector pay freeze, cliff edge cuts to Universal Credit, and
tax rises for millions of workers. The SNP...Request free trial
The SNP has said the UK Budget marks "a return to Tory
austerity cuts" - failing to deliver the investment required to
tackle the Tory child poverty crisis and deliver a fair
recovery.
Responding to the Budget, said had "failed to deliver the meaningful change and
investment needed to build a fairer society" and had imposed
damaging Tory cuts including a public sector pay freeze, cliff edge
cuts to Universal Credit, and tax rises for millions of
workers.
The SNP Westminster Leader said it was clear "Scotland faces
a choice of two futures" - the long-term damage of Brexit and Tory
cuts at Westminster, or the opportunity to secure our place in
Europe and a strong, fair and green recovery as an independent
country.
Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader MP said:
"The Tories are threatening Scotland's recovery with a return
to austerity cuts, an extreme Brexit, and a Budget that completely
failed to deliver the meaningful change and investment needed to
build a fairer society.
"The UK has suffered the worst economic slump of any major
economy, UK unemployment is rising, and millions of families have
seen their incomes slashed - but the Chancellor has added to this
misery by imposing a public sector pay freeze, cliff edge cuts to
Universal Credit, and tax rises for millions of workers.
"Covid has exposed the deep inequalities that exist under the
broken Westminster system but the Tory Budget failed to address
them. A decade of Westminster cuts have pushed 4.2million children
into poverty but there were no measures to reverse the growing Tory
child poverty crisis, no plan to raise statutory sick pay or
introduce a Real Living Wage.
"Millions of people have been left behind by the Tory
government throughout the pandemic - and this budget failed to plug
the gaps for the 3million excluded and failed to deliver a
commitment that full 80% furlough support will be available for as
long as the devolved nations need it.
"Boris Johnson's extreme Brexit has already cost Scotland's
economy £3.94billion and is projected to cost every person the
equivalent of £1,600 in added costs, red tape and barriers to trade
with Europe but while Ireland is getting €1.05billion from the EU's
Brexit mitigation fund - Scotland isn't getting a single penny from
the UK government.
"It is clear that Scotland faces a choice of two futures -
the long-term damage of Brexit and Tory austerity cuts at
Westminster, or the opportunity to protect our place in Europe and
build a strong, fair and green recovery as an independent
country.
"The issue at the election in May will be this: who has the
right to decide what sort of country we should be after the
pandemic - the people of Scotland or ? With both votes SNP we can put Scotland's future in
Scotland's hands - not Boris Johnson's."
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Copy of MP's letter to with the SNP's pre-Budget calls: https://mcusercontent.com/4fae14f57a18ee08253ffc251/files/7c4c49f3-b655-42e2-bf29-ca28476bf6cb/Chancellor_Letter_Pre_Budget.pdf
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