Parliament must show crisis leadership

Like millions of other householders I took meter readings on Thursday with the trepidation that my energy bill may double this month.

This on top of the £12bn national insurance tax rise, inflation potentially rising to double digits by the end of the year and fuel prices already about 50 per cent higher than a year ago will push thousands of Scots into poverty this year.

Neil Cowan of the Poverty Alliance writes (Scotsman, 1 April) that the economy badly needs restructuring to prevent further mass hardship, while Which? considers Scots will on average be £1100 a year worse off from rising energy and food costs.

It is with amazement that our Scottish Parliament has still to properly debate this issue, preferring to concentrate on Covid, where parties agree to end restrictions, and overdue ferries.

Is it not time our Finance Minister instigates an emergency budget to help the most vulnerable?

Those on universal credit, who recently saw a £20 a week cut, will face benefits rising by 3 per cent while inflation is already over 6 per cent and expected to rise much further.

Failure by the UK Government to protect the most vulnerable is estimated by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to pull 600,000 more into poverty yet the Scottish Government’s response has been pitiful, amounting to energy efficiency advice to 12,000 more families and little else.

The cost of living crisis is considered to be the top issue for voters and will dominate the local elections.

The Conservatives’ record on this issue and the decision to leave an untrustworthy Boris Johnson as PM and, given his recent U-turn, Douglas Ross as leader in Scotland, will be catastrophic at the polls.

Moreover, unless the Scottish Government shows leadership on the crisis the electorate will not forgive them, leaving more Scots struggling to simply survive.

NEIL ANDERSON

Edinburgh