BORIS Johnson is threatening Scotland’s Covid recovery with a “toxic combination” of cuts, tax hikes and Brexit, according to the SNP.
Ian Blackford, the party’s Westminster leader, has urged the Prime Minister to U-turn on cuts to Covid support.
He pointed to figures showing thousands of Scots – around 5% of eligible jobs – are still relying on furlough, even though the scheme is due to come to an end this month.
And he highlighted analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warning more than one in three families with children in Scotland could be hit by cuts to the Universal Credit uplift.
Blackford said the cuts added up to a “toxic combination”, together with rising inflation, increasing energy prices and the 1.25% increase in National Insurance planned for next year – as well as the impact of Brexit.
He said: “The UK is facing a growing threat to jobs, incomes and livelihoods from a perfect storm of Tory cuts, tax hikes, and the unfolding disaster of Brexit.
“By imposing this toxic combination, Boris Johnson is threatening Scotland’s Covid recovery with a Tory unemployment and poverty crisis, which will hammer incomes, squeeze businesses, cost jobs, and leave millions of families languishing on the breadline.
“The Tory government must ditch its plans to slash Universal Credit by £1040, and instead of prematurely withdrawing support for jobs and businesses – it should be delivering a major fiscal stimulus to boost the recovery and raise people’s incomes.”
Analysis from the House of Commons Library has revealed that 116,500 jobs remain furloughed in Scotland at the latest count.
Warnings have been issued over high energy prices due to issues such as increased global demand.
Blackford added: “Scotland is increasingly vulnerable from Tory cuts and the long-term damage of Brexit, which are costing the Scottish economy billions of pounds and making people poorer. It is evident that the Tory government has no intention of building a fair recovery from Covid.
“The only way to keep Scotland safe from damaging and reckless Westminster policies is to become an independent country.”
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