To govern is to choose. On Thursday, the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will present his Autumn Statement to Parliament.
There’s been a lot trailed in advance about the “difficult choices” he will have to make, but the reality is that for the Chancellor and his colleagues, these choices are not nearly as difficult as the choices my constituents and people across the UK already face.
The Chancellor won’t have to choose not to eat so that his children can have something for dinner; he won’t have to go to sleep and wake up every day in a cold home, and he won’t have to walk to work in the rain because he can’t afford the bus fare.
If the Chancellor chooses not to increase universal credit, other benefits and pensions with inflation, he won’t feel the pain of having to stretch his money further as prices of everyday goods in the shops soar.
He won’t have to visit a foodbank and ask for things he can eat cold as there isn’t enough electricity in his meter to run the cooker.
By failing to increase the budget for devolved Governments, the UK Government makes the choices harder for Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, who want to fund pay increases to support public sector workers like nurses and teachers, but are constrained by fixed budgets.
The UK Government faces the choice to support people in the face of the soaring cost of living that they helped to create, or to look the other way and pretend that we are all in this together and all affected equally. This is demonstrably untrue.
There are companies which have made an absolute fortune, both during the pandemic and since. The most glaring example is the big oil companies that have made profits in the region of $58 billion in profits for the third quarter of this year alone.
These companies can’t even get this money spent on further investment, with BP instead spending $8 billion this year buying back their shares – a decision for companies who don’t know what to do with their mega profits.
In the US and in Canada, this has been recognised with a tax levied on share buy backs. The think-tank the IPPR suggest that this short-term windfall tax could raise £11 billion – no small contribution to Government coffers, which would give the Chancellor options other than slashing public services and hammering those who are already struggling.
With a recession looming, rocketing prices and higher household bills, the Tory government must heed the warnings and deliver a Budget that supports people - not one that further entrenches the poverty the Tories have caused.
The looming threat of Austerity 2.0 is a pernicious Tory political choice - not an economic necessity. Scotland’s choices will always be limited by the current constitutional settlement. Scotland didn’t choose Brexit, and we didn’t choose austerity. The reality is that only with the full powers of independence that Scotland will be able to reject Tory austerity and build a fairer, greener and more equal society.
Time to reflect
Remembrance events give us all time to reflect. In my own family, my Gran was the only person to serve in the Second World War, in the Women and Royal Naval Service.
She was always incredibly proud of her service as a Wren, which took her away from home to serve around the UK. She would speak about life on the bases, recall fondly the acquaintances she made.
Her small part in the war meant a lot to her. The last First World War veteran has long since passed, and the surviving veterans from the Second World War are growing fewer.
At the Bridgeton Cross remembrance service, I learned that one of their local veterans had recently passed away. It makes it all the more important to recognise their extraordinary service and sense of duty.
It can be hard to imagine putting ourselves in their shoes today, yet ordinary people still make incredible sacrifices. The moving scenes from Ukraine this week, as forces liberated Kherson and people embraced their soldiers in thanks, remind us of the fragility of peace and the courage of all who step forward to serve. We will remember them all in grateful thanks.
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