SNP’s windfall wobbly has them in right old mess

Last week’s budget was seen by many as the tories’ last chance to try to turn the tide on their electoral woes.

Instead, they doubled down on economic incompetence and chaos which has hit families in the pocket. Far from delivering sorely needed investment so many struggling families across Scotland need, this Budget offered the same old managed decline. Admittedly, with energy bills up by 60 per cent, food prices up by 25 per cent and mortgage payments up by £2000 a year, it would have taken a miracle for the Tories to undo the damage they’ve done – but this Budget’s paltry offerings don’t even scratch the surface. The much-touted National Insurance cut will be wiped out by income tax rises north and south of the Border, as the SNP and Tories force working people to pay the price for failings. The Tories’ approach reeks of desperation. This is a government that is out of touch, out of ideas and running out of time. The Budget brought bad news for millions of Scots – including Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross. Once dismissed as a “lightweight” figure by Jacob Rees Mogg, Ross’ irrelevance has been shown up once again after the Chancellor ignored his pleas and ripped off Labour’s plans to extend the windfall tax on oil and gas giants. While Labour would use the cash raised to slash energy bills, the Tories yet again failed to support families facing skyrocketing costs just to heat their home. No one will be shocked to learn that Ross doesn’t hold much sway in his party but what might come as a surprise is the SNP’s position on all of this. Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn have decided to position themselves to the right of this morally bankrupt Tory party and oppose the extension of the windfall tax. While one in three Scots is in fuel poverty, the SNP’s priority is defending the obscene profits oil and gas multinationals are making from soaring energy

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bills. There are a lot of criticisms to be made of this Tory government but few would accuse them of doing too much to redistribute wealth – except, it seems, the SNP.

Scotland deserves better than both the Tories, who gave us “Rishi’s recession” and heaped misery on struggling families, and the SNP, who think a nurse should pay more tax but oil and gas giants should pay less.

And as if SNP MPs aren’t doing a bad enough job representing Scotland’s interests in Westminster, they are now threatening to disengage altogether. The party’s Deputy Leader Keith Brown floated the suggestion that SNP MPs might withdraw from the Parliament and leave their constituents without a voice. They said they would stand up for Scotland – but won’t even show up.

Scottish Labour MPs will put Scotland’s voice at the heart of government, fighting for the change Scotland needs. We will make work pay, cut bills, deliver economic growth, renew our public services and unleash Scotland’s potential as a world-leader in clean energy.

At the General Election, change is on the ballot paper with Labour.