Budget 2023: East Dunbartonshire MP says Chancellor got priorities wrong

The SNP member for East Dunbartonshire said the budget “continues to hammer household incomes” across the district.Speaking after the budget, Ms Callaghan urged Jeremy Hunt to “think again” and come back to the House with a comprehensive package to boost household incomes and economic growth for East Dunbartonshire. Ms Callaghan said “families are sick to the back teeth of being ripped off by the Tory government”.

The MP’s comments come as the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned living standards are expected to fall by six per cent – the largest two-year fall since records began in the 1950s.

Ms Callaghan said: "The number one priority for the UK budget should have been to put money back into people's pockets and reverse the Tory cost of living crisis. Scotland is a wealthy, energy-rich country but families are being let down by Westminster.

"Families are sick to the back teeth of being ripped off by the Tory government. Instead of hammering household incomes, the Chancellor could have saved families £1400 by slashing energy bills and delivering a comprehensive package of support.

"The SNP Scottish Government is doing everything it can with its limited fiscal powers, including delivering the Scottish Child Payment, higher energy bill support, and higher public sector pay. The Chancellor needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan that supports families and residents in East Dunbartonshire.”