The State Opening of Parliament is always marked with a great deal of pomp and ceremony.
There are lords clad in full ermine, gold-braided yeomen parading, and, of course, the jewel-encrusted imperial crown travelling to Parliament in its own Rolls Royce.
At a time when many are struggling to put food on the table and heat their homes, it’s particularly absurd.
The contents of the Queen’s Speech, written by the UK Government and delivered by Prince Charles, also failed to grasp the public mood.
A raft of legislation large and small, from bills on economic crime and online harms, to plans for a football regulator for England,
yet no lifeboat for those battered by the storms of this spiralling cost-of-living crisis.
There was uncertainty about whether the Chancellor Rishi Sunak would bring forward any plans to tackle this, and what those plans might entail – with the Prime Minister hinting at more to come, followed by the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove denying there would be an emergency budget.
This is a UK Tory Government wildly out of touch with the real lives of people across these islands – people are struggling right now, with indications that things are only going to get worse as inflation soars.
There’s a truth in suggesting this is a global crisis, yet in evidence to the Treasury Select Committee this week, economists observed that the UK’s economy is being harder hit due to Brexit.
The scale of the crisis demands an emergency budget, as even the half-measures announced at the Chancellor’s Spring Statement have now been eclipsed by inflation.
The 5p per litre cut to fuel duty, for example, has been swallowed up by increased prices at the pumps – a measure which cost the Treasury £2.4billion won’t make a noticeable difference when people fill up. The Chancellor’s flawed heat-now-pay-later energy loan has also been outstripped by the increase in people’s bills.
Even ScottishPower boss Keith Anderson has been pleading with the Chancellor to give households £1000 towards their energy costs, and to target support towards those who are on benefits and those on pre-payment meters.
The other side of this equation is the windfall the Chancellor has had from these increased prices.
At the Spring Statement, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility revealed that the UK Government had already gathered in more in taxation than they were expecting – to the tune of £38billion.
An emergency budget would give the Chancellor the opportunity to bring forward a plan to use this bonanza to support people who need it the most, rather than giving a tax cut to their pals and donors.
There are choices and decisions to be made by the Chancellor and his colleagues – they can’t continue to ignore the stark reality of this crisis.
When the Chancellor comes before the Parliament for Treasury Questions on Tuesday, he must set out a date for an emergency budget, and outline how the UK Government intends to address the cost-of-living crisis.
Why I back abortion clinic buffer zones
I was dismayed to see yet more anti-abortion protesters outside the Sandyford Clinic in my constituency.
I can’t imagine circumstances where protesters would gather to intimidate patients going into a cancer ward or to see their GP, yet these campaigners evidently don’t extend the same logic to people attending a sexual health clinic.
Whether they’re called vigils or protests, these public demonstrations can be deeply distressing for women attending for abortion services.
Indeed, the language on the signs, such as calling abortion murder, is designed to cause upset. There is a range of circumstances which can lead to the decision to have an abortion – a reality these protesters don’t seem to accept.
Holding protests outside clinics and hospitals also disrupts the provision of healthcare and could deter patients from attending their appointments.
I fully support the campaign from Back Off Scotland and the private member’s bill proposals from Green MSP Gillian Mackay, left, for buffer zones.
I hope the summit proposed by the First Minister will help to bring reassurance and protection for all who use these essential services and the staff. There ought to be no place for such intimidation of women in 2022.
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