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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Paul Hutcheon

Scots campaigners demand Jeremy Hunt ditches plans for billions in spending cuts

Campaigners and Scots politicians have demanded Tory Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ditch plans for over £30bn of public spending cuts.

John Dickie of the Child Poverty Action Group said it would be "outrageous" to ask vulnerable people to shoulder the UK’s stricken public finances.

And STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said another round of austerity would be a "shameful ploy from a shameful government".

Hunt will use his Budget to explain how an estimated £55bn black hole will be plugged.

Experts agree the disastrous decisions made by Liz Truss's short-lived government has added tens of billions to the sum the Chancellor has to find.

Around £35bn of the £55bn will likely come from public spending cuts and the rest from tax hikes

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are expected to oversee a massive cut to public spending (PA)

The prospect of more cuts has angered campaigners who believe another round of austerity will harm people on low incomes already reeling from sky high inflation.

Dickie said: “The Chancellor needs to urgently rethink the balance of spending cuts and tax rises. Many of us could afford to pay more tax but none of us can afford further cuts to the public services that all of us, and especially the poorest, rely on.

“It would be outrageous to ask those struggling the most to shoulder any more of the burden of fixing the public finances.

“The Chancellor must bring forward a budget that doesn’t just uprate benefits in line with inflation but reverses the cuts to family support that have left children brutally exposed to the health and economic shocks of the last few years."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (PA)

The Scottish Parliament receives a block grant from Whitehall and cuts would reduce the amount of money for public services.

Foyer, the country’s most senior trade unionist, said: “In an economic disaster of the Tories own making, working people are being conned into thinking austerity is the only answer to Tory economic incompetence.

“It’s a shameful ploy from a shameful government who wouldn’t dare attack the corporate, wealthy profiteers with as much glee and gusto as they routinely attack workers.

“We don’t need austerity 2.0 and we don’t need public spending cuts. We need a new Government that will defend and protect workers throughout Scotland, protecting those in their hour of need instead of punishing them.”

Poverty Alliance director Peter Kelly said: “Politicians have a moral responsibility to protect people. But we know that cuts to our public services hit the poorest people in society the hardest. In a wealthy country like ours it would be completely unjust for any government to slash social support, just when people need it most.

“Tax Justice UK have shown that we can raise billions of pounds from the wealthiest people and corporations, while protecting the services that we all rely on. That’s how we bring justice and compassion back into the economy.”

Scots Labour leader Anas Sarwar also took aim at the Tories: “For far too long the Tories have forced ordinary people to pay the price for their disastrous economic mismanagement.

“The UK cannot afford more of the same from this out-of-touch Tory party. We need a plan to get people through this cost of living crisis and help most vulnerable households.

“Instead of piling pressure on struggling households or slashing vital services, the Tories need to get serious about making wealthiest pay their fair share, starting by scrapping non-dom status and extending the windfall tax.

“The Tories need to use this chance to fix the mess they have made, but they aren’t capable of delivering the scale of change we need. We need a General Election and a fresh start – but only Labour can form a new government to boot them out of office.”

SNP Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss (Ross Turpie)

SNP Shadow Chancellor Alison Thewliss said: “The Tories have trashed the UK economy with Brexit and twelve years of mismanagement – and millions of families are paying an increasingly painful price.

“There is no doubt that those on the lowest incomes must get the most support at the UK Budget – but the Tories must deliver help for all those who need it not abandon those families and householders who are also struggling to get by.

“But it’s also essential that help is given to those on middle incomes too – by maintaining the energy price cap, ensuring continued energy bill support payments, and introducing a mortgage crisis fund to stop people defaulting or falling into unsustainable debt.”

Green MSP Ross Greer, whose party shares power in the Scottish Government, said: “This week’s budget will pile even more misery on millions of people. It is impossible to make £35 billion of cuts without punishing vulnerable people and seriously damaging the services that we all rely on.

“You can guarantee that the impact won’t be felt by millionaires like Rishi Sunak or Jeremy Hunt, it will be normal households and families who are made to pay the price, as it is every time the Tories are in power.”

Other measures expected to be included in the Budget have been widely trailed.

Taxes are expected to rise across the board and amore ambitious windfall tax on energy giant profits may also be announced.

Rishi Sunak’s Government is expected to keep the triple lock for the state pension and ensure benefits rise in line with soaring inflation.

The Scottish Government will announce its own draft Budget next month after Hunt unveils his own plans.

The Treasury was contacted.

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