THE SNP have said Liz Truss must perform yet another U-turn over “obscene” Tory plans to slash benefits.
On Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister refused to rule out imposing real-terms cuts to benefits.
This comes just a day after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s dramatic decision to abolish plans to scrap the 45p tax rate for top earners.
Truss has said she is still in favour of lowering tax for the rich but insisted it was not something she was contemplating now in an interview with the BBC.
Some Tory MPs, including former Tory leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt, have said that benefits must be increased in line with inflation.
The pressure was increased as it emerged that Kwarteng's medium-term fiscal plan and OBR forecasts will be moved ahead from November 23 to a date "shortly" in the future.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said Tory cuts and economic mismanagement have pushed millions into poverty and called on the UK Government to deliver an above-inflation rise to benefits.
She said: “The Prime Minister’s plan to impose a new wave of Tory austerity cuts is utterly obscene and underlines the need for Scotland to become an independent country – so we can escape Westminster control and get rid of the Tories for good.
“Liz Truss has shown appalling judgement and staggering incompetence. She must perform her third U-turn this week by scrapping Tory plans to slash benefits and impose £18 billion of cuts, which threatens Scotland’s budget and our NHS.
“The UK Government should be reversing the damage it has caused – not doubling down on cuts and pushing more people into poverty.”
Truss was pressed on LBC Radio about why she has committed to increasing pensions but not benefits.
She said that “no decision had been made yet on benefit uprating” and that it “will be taken in due course”.
Truss added: “What I mean is when people are on a fixed income, when they are pensioners, it is quite hard to adjust.
“I think it’s a different situation for people who are in the position of being able to work.”
The Scottish Greens have also criticised Truss’s refusal to rule out the cuts. Their social security spokesperson Maggie Chapman accused the UK Government of “doubling down” on the “cruel policies that have already done so much damage”.
She added: “To inflict cuts on many of the most vulnerable people would be appalling at any time, but to do it in order to fund tax breaks for some of the world’s wealthiest corporations is contemptible.
“It will only fuel the social emergency that is being inflicted.”
On Monday, the Scottish Greens called on the Chancellor to resign amid rising pressure stemming from the damage done by his mini budget announcement.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, the Prime Minister refused to say that she had full trust in her Chancellor.
Asked if she would leave big decisions in future to Kwarteng, Truss said: “Well what we’ve done is we have listened to what people said on this issue.
“It wasn’t a core part of our growth plan. What our growth plan is focused on is helping people with energy bills, getting business moving and we’re here at this fantastic new development in Birmingham creating jobs for the future and that’s what the plan is about.
“It was becoming a distraction so that’s why we immediately changed that policy and that’s the kind of government we are.
Liz Truss refuses to tell Sam Coates that she trusts her Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng. Things not looking good at the top of government if she can't answer this simple question. pic.twitter.com/xFbycA1Pqa
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) October 4, 2022
“We do respond when there are concerns and we act quickly.”
Truss was then pressed again about whether she wanted to explicitly say she trusted the Chancellor and she said: “I work very very closely with my Chancellor. We’re very focused on getting the economy growing.
“And that’s what people in Britain want. We’re facing difficult economic times, we’re seeing rising interest rates around the world, very serious issues with energy prices and inflation and we’ve acted decisively.”
Blackman added: “The Prime Minister must increase benefits in real terms, scrap the cap, and follow the SNP government’s lead by matching progressive policies including the Scottish Children Payment.”
