SNP are refusing to stop austerity in Scotland, says John McDonnell Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are refusing to “lift a finger” to stop the effects of UK Government austerity in […]

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are refusing to “lift a finger” to stop the effects of UK Government austerity in Scotland, the shadow Chancellor will claim today.

John McDonnell will accuse the Scottish First Minister of failing to do enough to counteract Conservative policies that are keeping children in poverty and adults on low wages.

“This is a rigged economy that neither the Tories nor the SNP want to change” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Jeremy Corbyn

During a speech to a Labour conference on the economy in Glasgow, Mr McDonnell and party leader Jeremy Corbyn will unite to condemn the SNP for not using the powers of the Scottish Parliament to stop austerity.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have all criticised the SNP for being too timid on tax, arguing that the party is simply passing on Tory cuts rather than acting to stop them.

“Despite the Budget falling on international women’s day, 86 per cent of the austerity policies of Theresa May’s government fall on women. And Nicola Sturgeon could act to help stop this, but she refuses to stand in the way,” Mr McDonnell will say.

“The Tories’ rigged economy in which six million people earn less than the living wage and four million children are in poverty will continue. And in Scotland, the SNP will not lift a finger to stop this from happening.”

Holyrood now has the ability to set the rates and bands of income tax after gaining a swathe of new responsibilities through the Scotland Act, which followed the 2014 referendum on independence.

However, the SNP’s Budget for 2017-18 did not make any major changes, merely freezing the threshold at which Scots start paying the 40p rate of tax at £43,000 instead of letting it rise to £45,000.

‘Rigged’ economy

Mr Corbyn will also accuse the SNP of failing to act to lift people out of poverty. “We need to change this economy that is rigged to increase the wealth of the richest and cut the income of the poorest,” he will say.

“This is a rigged economy that neither the Tories nor the SNP want to change. This is unjust, unfair and immoral…not least because we know people die as a result of this rigged system.”

The conference is part of a series of public events focusing on the economy that Mr Corbyn and his team are due to hold around Britain over the next year.

Further conferences are set to be held in Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff as the party tries to “broaden access and raise the level of debate around economics” in the UK.

An SNP spokeswoman said Scottish Labour’s proposed 1p increase to the basic rate of income tax would hit people on lower incomes.

“While Labour want to pass the burden of austerity onto low income families by raising their tax bill, the SNP have protected household incomes while investing in public services through balanced, progressive tax reforms,” she added.

“It’s Labour’s complete failure to offer meaningful opposition that lets Theresa May feel comfortable ditching her manifesto commitments and pursuing a hard Brexit – we’ll take no lessons from Labour on standing up against austerity.”