THE SNP have urged Liz Truss to come clean over plans to impose a “Truss Tax” which would force households to pay the multi-billion-pound cost of an energy bill freeze.
The new Prime Minister is due to set out a plan to save households and businesses from financial ruin as a result of soaring energy bills today with an emergency budget announcement today.
After setting out tackling the energy crisis as one of her three main priorities – alongside growing the economy and the NHS – she is expected to freeze bills at around £2500.
This is some £500 more than the current cap, but £1000 below the level they are expected to hit in October.
But she has refused to tax oil and gas giants to pay for it and is instead expected to put an alleged cost of nearly £100 billion on the national debt through borrowing more money, leaving working people to foot the bill.
The announcement will reportedly come in the form of a general debate as opposed to a ministerial statement, which the SNP claimed may stop advance sight being given to MPs and allow Truss to dodge direct questions from them.
The SNP have warned that the tax plans would “saddle” ordinary households with years of debt while letting major companies off the hook as they rake in excess profits.
Kirsten Oswald, the party’s deputy Westminster leader, said: “There may have been a shuffling of the deckchairs at Downing Street, but the practice remains the same – with Truss taking a leaf from Boris Johnson’s playbook on ducking leadership interviews and now parliamentary scrutiny.
“The fact is the Truss Tax will saddle households for debt for years to come, while letting major companies off the hook as they rake in excess profits during this cost of living crisis. The UK Government should be looking to bring forward targeted measures to tackle poverty and support low and middle-income households.
“If the Prime Minister refuses to heed the warnings and U-turn immediately, then she is making clear once again that only with independence will energy-rich Scotland be able to build a fairer and more prosperous future.”
It comes after Cabinet meetings got underway yesterday as Truss continued making appointments to her government.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon questioned whether Truss had appointed a “Cabinet of all the talents” or simply handed her supporters top jobs, taking particular aim at the appointment of Jacob Rees-Mogg as Energy Secretary due to his past comments on climate change.
On the use of oil, Rees-Mogg has previously said he wants to extract “every last drop out of the North Sea”.
