- Chancellor must deliver emergency package of support at
spring budget
The SNP will lead a debate in the House of Commons today
(Wednesday) calling for a broad-based windfall tax on the excess
profits of major companies - in order to fund a comprehensive
package of support for families and tackle the Tory cost of
living crisis.
With exactly one week until the spring budget, will lead the SNP
opposition day debate and say it is "absolutely essential that
the Chancellor stops making excuses and delivers a comprehensive
package of support without further delay".
The SNP Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesperson
will say a broad-based windfall tax that targets Amazon and other
large retailers, as well as energy companies, will ensure that
all major companies who have made excessive profits during the
covid pandemic and energy crisis can now "shoulder the burden"
that millions of families face.
Commenting, said:
"Millions of families face a devastating blow to incomes as the
Tory cost of living crisis spirals out of control. With a week
until the spring budget, it's absolutely essential that the
Chancellor stops making excuses and delivers a comprehensive
package of support without further delay.
"This Westminster crisis has been a decade in the making, with a
toxic combination of Tory cuts, Brexit and a failure to invest in
renewable energy costing the economy billions, stagnating wages,
decimating social security, and leaving the UK completely
exposed.
"It is vital that the UK government now reverses the damage it
has caused by ditching the regressive National Insurance tax
hike, reversing the £1040 Tory cuts to Universal Credit, matching
the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide, introducing a Real Living
Wage, and slashing energy bills by cutting VAT and giving
households grants.
"Other countries across Europe are already taking meaningful
action to support people. It's time the UK government finally
caught up with our European neighbours and used the reserved
powers it stubbornly refuses to devolve to Scotland.
"Under the Tories, the UK already has the worst levels of poverty
and inequality in north west Europe and the highest levels of
in-work poverty this century. Unless the Chancellor changes
course, he will push even more families into poverty - and
undermine the progress being made in Scotland with progressive
SNP policies like the Scottish Child Payment.
"The SNP is calling for a broad-based windfall tax on all major
companies that have made excessive profits during the pandemic
and energy crisis. It is only right that companies making these
huge profits shoulder the burden that families face. This must be
a balanced approach across companies, which recognises investment
in communities, rather than the ill-considered smash-and-grab
on the north east of Scotland proposed by others.
"The UK government has been dragging its heels for months. By
failing to act, Tory ministers are making the case for
independence. It is increasingly clear that the only way to keep
Scotland safe from Tory cuts is to become an independent country,
with the full powers needed to boost people's incomes and build a
fairer society."
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
SNP Opposition Day motion:
"That this House warns that households are to suffer the worst
income squeeze since the 1970s; notes Institute of Fiscal Studies
analysis that households are on course to be £800 worse off;
calls on the Government to scrap VAT on energy bills, implement a
windfall tax on companies which are benefiting from significantly
increased profits as a result of impacts associated with the
pandemic or the current international situation, and to scrap the
energy bill rebate scheme and introduce immediate emergency cash
payments for households”
