General election now a 'democratic imperative', says MP Ian Blackford

Following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss last Thursday, a general election is now a 'democratic imperative', according to Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Ian Blackford.

 

The SNP’s Westminster Leader warned the ongoing Tory in-fighting proved once again independence was the only way to escape the constant chaos at Westminster.

 

'It was inevitable Liz Truss would have to go after the damage she inflicted,' he said. 'But merely swapping leaders of a broken Tory government is not enough. A general election is now a democratic imperative.

 

'The UK is in a state of constant crisis and long-term decline. With all the Westminster parties signed up to the economic pain of a hard Brexit and austerity cuts, it is clear independence is the only way to keep Scotland safe and escape the chaos of Westminster control for good.'

 

The ephemeral PM’s resignation comes as struggling households look set to face bills of up to £5,000 next April following yet another Tory U-turn which has scaled back the energy price cap freeze.

 

Branding the decision - by newly appointed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - 'reckless', Mr Blackford said: 'In scrapping the majority of the proposals contained in former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s financial statement, the Tory government has announced a scaling back of the energy price cap freeze, which will now last for only six months instead of the two years initially promised.

 

'They have recklessly removed the very little protection they offered to households through what is set to be an ever-worsening cost of living crisis. They were already too late to act on energy bills and now households face even bigger rises in April when the measly half-baked proposals to help families are scaled back in the latest iteration of Westminster Tory austerity.'

 

Accusing the Labour party of failing to offer real opposition after MPs chose to abstain on an SNP amendment against the changes, Mr Blackford said real support for struggling households could only come with the full powers of independence.

 

'Given a chance to stand up for struggling households, the Labour Party once again sat on its hands and refused to offer up real opposition, leaving families in the firing line. There is little difference between the Conservative and Labour parties these days,' Mr Blackford said.

 

'By contrast, to help with the cost of living crisis the Scottish Government has used its limited powers to uprate eight benefits and bring in further increases to the Scottish Child Payment, but all of that work risks being undone or offset by the calamity ensuing in Westminster.

 

'There can be no doubt that Scots, who are paying a heavy price for Westminster’s failures, would be better off with the full powers of independence.'