“Mr Austerity” Starmer Will Sink SNP Election Hopes” - Salmond

Former First Minister Alex Salmond and ALBA leader has dubbed the Prime Minister and his Chancellor as “the odd couple of austerity” and accused them of “freezing pensioners to underpin an economic narrative designed  to match the Westminster electoral cycle”.

He said;

"Starmer and Rachel Reeves are a couple of con artists. It was perfectly obvious before the election that if they matched Tory plans, they were embracing extreme austerity. Yet they denied it point blank to secure election. They are Labour’s new odd couple of austerity.

"Instead of a new economic policy which would drive down sky high interest rates to relieve the pressure on wages, the public finances and living standards, they have embarked on a further cycle of austerity to match the Westminster electoral cycle.

"They know full well that fiscal pain today will free up room for tax cutting jam tomorrow, in the run up to the next Westminster election. The problem is that they now intend to impose the pain on those least able to withstand the rigours of a hard winter. They are intent on freezing pensioners to underpin an economic narrative to match the Westminster electoral cycle.

"Of course they also know the big political casualties of this approach will be the SNP. With their budget hamstrung by Westminster, the Holyrood administration is now in financial crisis. Their ability to shift the blame onto London Labour is compromised by the daft, barely numerate mistakes they have made on ferries, bottle schemes and other such notions. Even their own Fiscal Commission are pointing the finger at the SNP. And the SNP face the electorate in barely over 18 months, long before Starmer will allow happy days to be here again!

"Fortunately for Scotland, there are alternatives. ALBA will offer to put people of competence and ability back into the Scottish Parliament and do it as a Party which really believes in securing independence. We will not tolerate pensioner fuel poverty in energy rich Scotland. The polls are now showing early signs of the ALBA breakthrough which is exactly what Scotland needs right now.”