Adam welcomes Scottish Government cost of living measures
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A RAFT of measures by the Scottish Government designed to help mitigate the cost of living crisis have been hailed by a north-east MSP.
It comes as the SNP-Green Holyrood administration unveiled their Programme for Government 2022-23, which includes the extension of the Scottish Child Payment to all qualifying under 16s as of mid- November.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam said the Scottish Government were “doing everything at their disposal and within the boundaries of devolution” to tackle the crisis.
She continued: “By no exaggeration, what we face ahead is the most severe cost crisis of our lifetimes.
"Going by today’s announcement, the Scottish Government is evidently going above and beyond, doing everything at their disposal and within the boundaries of devolution. While the Scottish Government do their in tackling this crisis, the UK government are clinging on to vital powers over spending and other key political levers that would make a significant difference for people in Scotland. That’s why it’s so frustrating that we continue to rely on the whim of a UK government who evidently care very little for our citizens.
“I’m particularly glad to hear about the rent freeze and moratorium on evictions, with emergency legislation being brought forward to protect tenants.
“The First Minister also announced a further increase of the Scottish Child Payment which is being raised to £25 per child per week. This is significant and has been hailed previously as ‘game changing’. This further increase, which isn’t available anywhere else in the UK, is a significant poverty busting measure for parents, families and care takers.
“These are just some of the actions the Scottish Government have taken within the limitations of our remit. It’s now up to the UK government to do their part and deliver the serious level of commitment the SNP have shown.
“As the absolute bare minimum, they should double the £800 energy grant, introduce an energy price cap for Small and Medium Enterprises, legislate on a windfall tax for businesses thriving from the soaring energy prices, match the Scottish Government’s £500m commitment for a Just Transition fund for the north-east of Scotland, offer support to the carbon capture projects in Scotland’s North East Cluster and the Green Freeport bid covering Aberdeen and Peterhead, begin immediate discussions with Ofgem about the standing charges scandal in Scotland, and deliver fuel costs support, particularly in regard to the fishing and agriculture sectors.”
However, Moray Conservative MP Douglas Ross said the SNP-Green Government’s planned Programme for Government falls “woefully short” on rising to the big challenges facing the people and businesses in Moray. He also criticised the government for pushing ahead with an independence referendum bill.
He said: “The global cost-of-living crisis is continuing to have a huge impact on people and businesses across Moray who are struggling to deal with rising bills.
“Tackling this crisis should be the absolute priority of both of Scotland’s governments but what we saw from the SNP-Green Government in their Programme for Government shows that they are not going to play their part and their plans fell woefully short of rising to the challenges we face.
“Instead they want to divide communities in Moray all over again with their plans for a referendum bill. This is the wrong priority at the worst possible time.
“People and businesses across Moray would have been tuned in expecting to hear a full focus from Nicola Sturgeon on tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
"They were let down as they had to hear the First Minister typically shift the blame elsewhere and peddle her usual obsession with independence.
“I was proud to publish the Scottish Conservatives own priorities for the year ahead before the Programme for Government statement.
"This was a plan that outlined how we would support families and businesses in Moray through the cost-of-living crisis, help public services recover the pandemic and empower every community with what they need to achieve that.
“Those are the real priorities for constituents in Moray, not the self-serving interest of another referendum from the SNP-Green Government.”
The full Programme for Government 2022-23 can be viewed at https://www.gov.scot/programme-for-government/
