IAN Blackford has said he wants to know “who is pulling the strings” in the UK Government as Boris Johnson hides from parliamentary scrutiny.
Citing concerns over how the Government is functioning, Blackford reiterated his call for the Prime Minister’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, to appear before the House of Commons Liaison Committee, which counts promoting “effective scrutiny of Government” among its functions.
Speaking during an interview with the Press Association news agency, the SNP’s leader at Westminster said: “I’m deeply concerned as to what’s happening under the stewardship of this Prime Minister.
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“This Prime Minister that seems to be hiding from Parliament, hiding from scrutiny, seems to be handing political power to an unelected official that needs to be brought in front of Parliament.”
In a warning ahead of this week’s Budget, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said austerity is “impacting” public health and the Government has a responsibility to end it.
He called on the Government to recognise that “now is the time not just because of coronavirus, but it puts it into sharp focus, that we need to have that investment in our NHS”.
Blackford said: “All necessary steps that need to be taken to protect the citizens in conjunction with the devolved administrations should be taken.”
Rishi Sunak, the new Tory Chancellor, is preparing to deliver his first Budget on March 11 against an uncertain economic backdrop following the global spread of the virus.
And he could be tempted to announce a hefty package of tax rises, if history is anything to go by.
Blackford said: “I think not just in the UK, but globally we have to reflect on what coronavirus could do to confidence and there is an indication that there will be an importance given to monetary measures, in terms of what could happen as far as rates are concerned, what could happen in terms of liquidity and that’s important.”
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Ahead of Wednesday’s Budget speech in the Commons, Blackford argued for an increase in health spending “to the average in Scotland”, plus the removal of the rape clause and two-child benefits limit.
He also wants pension justice for the Waspi women – who are complaining about the way in which the state pension for men and women was equalised – and further action on climate change.
Blackford said: “This has been about political choices over the last 10 years ... the monetary policy initiatives they have been enormous in their entirety and ordinary people have paid a price ...
“These are before you consider the impact of what coronavirus might do in the short term, and we hope that that is limited for all our interests, but there are signs that austerity is impacting public health, life expectancy, infant mortality, and Government has got a responsibility to end austerity.
“There still is a squeeze on public finances that has been imposed by this Government, now is the time to bring that to an end.”
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