Households across Scotland are set to take a hammering when Jeremy Hunt delivers his much-delayed Autumn Statement today. The Tory Chancellor has spent weeks trying to warn the public in advance of the pain he will inflict as he unleashes another wave of austerity.
But none of the danger signals will make any difference when Hunt slashes billions in public spending and pushes up taxes for all. It could be a day that will live long in Westminster infamy.
Anti-poverty campaigners have pleaded with the Chancellor to avoid damaging cuts that will make life immeasurably harder for many people. It’s unlikely he will listen.
Hunt will undoubtedly try to blame the war in Ukraine and insist inflation is causing governments around the world to make savings. It would be wrong to deny either of those issues were part of the problem – but Scots understand there are other forces at work which the Chancellor will try to ignore.
It was his predecessor, Kwasi Kwarteng, who trashed the UK’s economic reputation on the global markets with his disastrous mini-budget in September. At a stroke, the cost of UK Government borrowing was pushed up massively.
It was Rishi Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, who enthusiastically endorsed Kwarteng and his plan. The Tories set fire to the house and then demanded that only they could be trusted to put out the flames.
This party should not be in power. And yet they will shortly inflict even more damage on the country.
What do you think? Share your views in the comments.
Reject Trump
Donald Trump has announced he will run for president again in 2004. The planet has quite enough on its plate without seeing the worst commander in chief return to the White House.
For starters, there’s the war in Ukraine, rampant energy prices, a climate crisis and economies teetering on the brink to contend with. It was hoped that the Republicans’ underwhelming performance in the midterm elections would have made him think twice.
But sadly Trump has not gone away. The man who demeaned the highest office in US politics and spread misinformation and lies on a daily basis now hopes to become president again.
He will try to regain office on the back of the biggest lie of all – that the 2020 election he lost was stolen. If he wins the Republican ticket, let’s hope American voters reject him again – for all our sakes.
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