Stephen Flynn urges Chancellor to ‘put down the axe’

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has urged the Chancellor to “put down the axe” and deliver investment to stimulate economic growth.

Mr Flynn said that Rachel Reeves is “repeating the Tories’ mistakes” by imposing “damaging austerity cuts”.

Speaking ahead of the Chancellor’s speech to the Labour Party conference on Monday, he urged her to reverse cuts to the winter fuel payment to pensioners which are being withdrawn from millions not in receipt of benefits.

Mr Flynn said: “Rachel Reeves is repeating the Tories’ mistakes by imposing damaging austerity cuts, which will starve the economy of investment and make things worse for families and public services.

“Fourteen long years of Tory cuts proved beyond doubt that austerity simply doesn’t work. Instead of ‘fixing the foundations’ it weakened them – reducing economic growth, squeezing wages, harming public services and pushing families into poverty.

“It’s no wonder the Labour Party is plummeting in the polls, when it has broken its promises to voters and is imposing billions of pounds of cuts, which economists are warning will hit growth.”

Mr Flynn said that aside from rejoining the EU single market, the “single best way” to build a stronger economy is to invest in growth by delivering the capital funding needed for green energy, affordable homes, transport, schools and hospitals.

He added: “I urge the Chancellor to put the axe down, reverse cuts to the winter fuel payment and deliver the investment needed to stimulate economic growth and improve public services.”

Speaking to Labour-friendly newspapers ahead of the conference, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed his administration was not “going down the road of austerity”.

Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith MSP said: “Labour is acting daft when it comes to the economy.

“This is all because there has been a huge backlash about their decision to betray pensioners by scrapping universal winter fuel payments.

“No-one will be fooled by the Chancellor when she feigns surprise at the tough financial choices she faces, just as no-one in Scotland is fooled by the SNP repeatedly trying to blame Westminster for all the problems in the Scottish economy.

“Despite receiving record block grants from Westminster and imposing the highest taxes in the UK, the SNP has run our public services into the ground and created a huge black hole in Scotland’s finances.

“The sad reality is, Scotland is stuck with the independence-obsessed SNP Government which neglects the real issues facing Scotland and now, the Labour Government which is having to deflect from its own abject failings.”

The UK Government has been asked for comment.