Chancellor urged not to ‘leave citizens in the cold’ over rising bills

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged by the SNP not to “leave citizens in the cold” over rising bills ahead of an announcement due on Tuesday.

Ms Reeves is expected to announce support for those struggling with their bills in the wake of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran.

SNP economy spokesman Dave Doogan pointed to the support announced in Ireland on Monday, comparing the actions taken by the government in Dublin to the lack of powers available to the Scottish Government to support people.

Oil prices spiked following the US-led offensive, but have started to come down, reaching 104 dollars a barrel on Monday.

Mr Doogan said: “While independent Ireland acts, Westminster can’t once again leave citizens in the cold.

“The economic reality is that people simply can’t afford another massive hike in their energy and fuel bills – therefore the political reality must be that it can’t be allowed to happen.

“Unfortunately, people won’t hold their breath when it comes to expecting real support from Westminster – the only hope of changing Scotland’s story is by taking our energy into our own hands through the fresh start of independence.

“With families and businesses struggling to fill up at the pumps and facing the real fear of energy bills spiking again, they know that Keir Starmer has already broken his promise to cut energy bills by £300 and the Labour Party have barely lifted a finger when people are badly in need of help.”

With just seven weeks to go before the Holyrood elections in May, Mr Doogan touted Scottish independence as a way for ministers in Edinburgh to take control over energy generated in Scotland.

“It is Scotland’s energy – and the benefits of it should be felt by the people of Scotland.

“Our nearest neighbour, Ireland – a small, independent country in the European Union – has the wealth and the will to help its citizens when they need it most.

“An independent, energy-rich Scotland could act in the very same way for all our people.

“With full control over our energy resources, we can bring energy bills down.”

Speaking to a Parliamentary Liaison Committee on Monday, Sir Keir said: “I can reassure the committee that we haven’t any meaningful concerns about energy supplies. Obviously, the price fluctuates daily.

“For household energy bills, it is important for me to reiterate that they will be cut because of the measures we took in the budget last year and then held until the end of June.

“And I know that for many members of the public, the question they’ve been asking is, does that still hold even if the conflict goes on? And the answer to that question is yes. So there’s comfort there for households.”