In the first three months of this year – as people across the UK were making the impossible choice between heating and eating - Shell and BP collectively raked in eye-watering profits of £11.6billion. To put that in perspective, that’s almost £129million in profit every single day.
This is utterly obscene at a time when so many people are struggling with sky-high bills and soaring food costs. More and more people are at breaking point, simply unable to make ends meet no matter how much they scrimp and save.
We can see how many people are in desperate need of support, with food bank use and applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund reaching record highs. Now new analysis by Scottish Labour has shown soaring numbers of Crisis Grants being distributed to people in order to help them to pay for food, heating, and clothes.
Crisis Grants were designed to be just that – a lifeline at times of crisis. But now people are increasingly stuck in permanent crisis, unable to afford the basics. Between 2019 and 2022 the number of people relying on Crisis Grants to pay for heating rose by 8 per cent.
The number of grants for food soared by 41 per cent. The number of grants for clothes or shoes soared by 79 per cent. This lays bare the shameful scale of the crisis we face – and the failure of our two governments’ woeful response.
Because while families in Scotland cannot afford food, clothes or heating, oil and gas giants are raking in thousands of pounds every minute. But the Tories have made it clear they would rather side with massive multinational corporations than struggling families in the UK.
Meanwhile, here in Scotland the SNP has spent more time commentating on the cost of living crisis than acting to tackle it. The new First Minister says tackling poverty is his priority and I hope this is true, because for too long the SNP’s approach has been built on spin rather than substance.
We’ve had plenty of talking shops and photo ops but little action and no progress. This cannot be as good as it gets. Instead of relying on sticking plaster solutions, both of our governments need to use the powers they have to tackle poverty at its root.
We need a windfall tax on these oil and gas giants so we can re-distribute their outrageous profits, and we need to use the powers we have here in Scotland to drive down costs in devolved areas such as transport and housing.
The status quo has left our country in crisis – but in Westminster and in Holyrood Labour is ready to deliver the change we desperately need.
Local elections
Last week saw a brilliant set of results for Labour in the English local elections. It was fantastic news for anyone across the country who wants to boot the Tories out of Downing St. It’s clear that people across the UK are ready for and are demanding change.
It struck me when I went to Stoke and Bolton - how much of what people said there echoed in Scotland. For years the SNP have tried to claim the majority in England and the people of Scotland have nothing in common. It now couldn’t be clearer - both are going to come together to get rid of this corrupt and morally bankrupt Tory government.
Whether you live in Glasgow or Blackburn, Aberdeen or Bolton your bills are going up and you are not getting the support you need. And both North and South of the border, we now have that chance. The results on Friday couldn’t make that more obvious.
When we get to a general election only Labour can kick the Tories out of office - and bring about the change our country needs. That’s why I believe now more than ever that Scotland will lead the way in delivering a majority Labour Government.
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