A SCOTTISH minister has said the vast majority of her email inbox is now taken up by people terrified about their financial situation, as she echoed Nicola Sturgeon’s comments about "detesting" the Tories.
Christina McKelvie described the volume of enquiries she’s received about the cost-of-living as “incredible” and highlighted many people who are reaching out have never had reason to speak to an MSP before.
The Equalities and Older People Minister said she was seeing signs that concerns over soaring bills are snowballing into all areas of people’s lives, including their physical and mental health.
McKelvie told the National: “My email inbox recently has not been anything but people terrified.
“People don’t know how they are going to cope and the volume of people messaging in about the cost of living is incredible.
“There are people who have never emailed their MSP ever before who are just so scared.
“I always get a lot of emails about housing but even that is becoming interlinked with the cost-of-living now. They’re worried about staying in their home and it’s affecting their mental health.
“And that’s how it’s going to be if this continues. It will all just snowball for people. I'm terrified for them.”
The average two-year fixed mortgage rate now sits at 6.5%, with some households re-mortgaging now facing paying an extra £450 every month.
Earlier this week, the First Minister came under fire for saying she “detested” the Tories and everything they stood for on the back of the party sending the pound plummeting, interest rates rocketing, and introducing giant tax cuts for the rich.
But McKelvie said given the struggles people have come to her with recently – many of which have never needed support before – show just how “detestable” Tory policies are.
“I was speaking to a young mum earlier this week and she said her monthly outgoings have gone up by £500. That was her cushion, for if the car broke down or the boiler broke, or something like that,” she added.
“There will be a whole cohort of people who have never needed support who will need it now. That’s detestable.
“I’ll tell you what I also find detestable: The rape clause, the two-child cap, the Rwanda policy, the need to choose between heating and eating. I could go on and on about detestable policies.
“I detest them undermining everyone’s human rights. The glee of Suella Braverman [home secretary] who wants to send people off to Rwanda as her Christmas present – I think that’s quite detestable.”
