THE SNP have urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to “put money back in people’s pockets and tackle the soaring cost of living crisis on the Labour Party’s watch” ahead of her speech at the party’s conference in Liverpool.
Economy spokesperson Dave Doogan said that “voters won’t forgive the Labour Party for its broken promises and disastrous mismanagement of the economy” as polling shows Reeves is the least popular Chancellor since records began.
Reeves is expected to announce billions of pounds in cuts and tax hikes in the Autumn Budget in order to fill a black hole in Labour’s spending plans.
Doogan said: “The Chancellor has presided over a year of failure and broken promises on the economy.
“Voters were promised change but, after a disastrous year under Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer, broken Brexit Britain has gone from bad to worse.
“The cost of living is soaring, unemployment is at a four-year high, the UK economy has been downgraded, public finances have deteriorated, child poverty is at record levels, businesses are suffering from the national insurance tax hike, and families are being hammered as energy bills, food prices, and inflation rise by more than expected.
“At the same time, the Chancellor’s decision to slash the winter fuel payment, cut support for disabled people and continue the Tories’ two child cap has betrayed trust in the Labour Government.
“Voters won’t forgive the Labour Party for its broken promises and disastrous mismanagement of the economy and the fact that they have completely lost control of the cost of living during their first year in government.”
Polling from YouGov and Ipsos show that Reeves is the least popular Chancellor since records began and that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has fallen behind Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, John Major and Margaret Thatcher in terms of public favour.
The Labour Party have also fallen behind both Reform UK and the Tories in the polls for the next General Election, with data from Ipsos and YouGov showing Nigel Farage and his party now have a 12-point lead over the current government.
“After all the mistakes, the Chancellor must urgently act to put money back in people’s pockets – including by reducing bills and inflation like they promised, and taking meaningful action to reduce child poverty like the SNP is doing in Scotland”, Doogan continued.
“While the bitterly-divided Labour Party descends into crisis and chaos, the SNP is delivering for Scotland, helping families with the best cost of living support in the UK, and offering the choice of a fresh start with independence.”
