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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Paul Hutcheon

Rishi Sunak gives 'insulting' two minute, 16 second speech despite cost of living crisis

Rishi Sunak has been criticised for making an “insulting” two minute, sixteen second speech to the Scottish Tory party conference.

The Chancellor ’s "blink and you might miss" it address appeared to contain no new content, despite Scots facing falling living standards.

Mr Sunak, tipped as a future Prime Minister, made a brief speech by video-link to the conference in Aberdeen.

On the pandemic, he said: “Two years ago, we faced the greatest challenge of many of our lifetimes.

“And in response we pulled together our resources as one United Kingdom to get through it," the Daily Record reports.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party Spring Conference (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

Mr Sunak added: “Together we protected over one million Scottish jobs, provided loans and grants to almost 100,000 Scottish businesses and delivered £14.5 billion in additional funding for Scotland’s public services.”

SNP MSP Rona Mackay said: "In the middle of a crushing cost of living crisis the man who holds the purse strings thinks it's appropriate to devote just two minutes of his time to his own Scottish party conference.

"In a speech stuffed with shameless self-praise, Sunak provided not a single word of comfort or hope to thousands of hard-pressed Scottish families facing increasing financial uncertainty.

"This speech was nothing short of insulting and perfectly demonstrates Westminster Tory disdain for the people of Scotland."

He also addressed the future: “We must chart a new course together; one that delivers greater opportunity in every region and every community.

“That is why this UK Government is committed to levelling up, and we are already taking action.

“At the Budget, I announced £173 million for 13 Scottish projects from Whithorn to Inverness as part of our Levelling Up and Community Ownership funds.

“£150 million for the British Business Bank to help small and medium sized Scottish businesses to grow and access to the £1.4 billion Global Britain Investment Fund to secure international investment into Scotland.

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