The UK Government has been accused of "digging its own black hole" and deliberately misleading the public about the nation's finances ahead of last week's Budget. Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, has intensified pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who faces mounting calls for her resignation despite backing from the Prime Minister.
Flynn told BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday that the Government is «doubling down at this point on misleading» the public and Parliament. He pointed to a crucial discrepancy: while the Prime Minister cited a £16 billion productivity downgrade to justify the bleak fiscal narrative, official forecasts showed a £32 billion upgrade elsewhere in public finances.
«What he said there was that productivity has gone down, but the forecast was it had gone down by £16 billion, of course it has, but what he's importantly not said there is that there was a £32 billion upgrade elsewhere, which meant that the Government wasn't in the perilous financial situation that it said it was,» Flynn explained.
Public Backlash
The Chancellor faces significant public disapproval. A recent survey shows 60 percent of British voters hold an unfavorable view of Reeves, with just 15 percent viewing her favorably. Nearly 60 percent of voters believe she should resign over allegations she misled the public about the economy and tax increases.
Voters feel the Government broke Labour's manifesto pledge from last year's election not to increase taxes «on working people.» The Budget has effectively raised taxes through fiscal drag by freezing tax bands, pushing more workers into higher tax brackets as wages increase.
Government Under Fire
Flynn criticized the Government's sustained messaging campaign ahead of the Budget. «The Government spent weeks and weeks telling us all the picture was absolutely bleak and there was going to have to be enormous changes in the public finances as a result. Now, as it's transpired, that's simply not the case,» he said on BBC Radio Scotland.
He added: «I don't think it's good enough for a Government that said they were going to represent change, that said they were going to restore trust in politics and, importantly, to tread lightly on people's lives.»
The SNP leader accused the Treasury of briefing journalists misleadingly before the Budget statement. «It looks a lot like the Government was digging its own black hole in this regard and it's now stuck in it,» Flynn stated.
Chancellor Remains Defiant
Despite the pressure, Reeves expressed confidence yesterday that she will remain Chancellor until the next election, describing herself as «absolutely confident.» She has characterized the tax increases as simply asking people to «pay a bit more.»
Under Reeves' tenure, unemployment has risen, economic growth barely registers, and living standards are projected to flatline. Opposition politicians continue to demand accountability, with Flynn questioning: «then who can there be accountability for?» if the Prime Minister and Chancellor face no consequences for allegedly misleading Parliament.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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