Sturgeon says Tories have ‘run out of excuses’ for cost-of-living ‘inaction’

Nicola Sturgeon said backing the SNP on Thursday would “put Boris Johnson under real pressure to act now and help families out” as the cost-of-living crisis begins to bite.

On Wednesday the SNP campaign bus, which has been crossing Scotland as part of the party’s local election campaign, will visit Edinburgh during the final day of campaigning before voters across Scotland go to the ballot box on Thursday.

Ahead of the campaign stop, the First Minister criticised the Conservatives and said the party had “run out of excuses for their negligent inaction on their self-made cost-of-living crisis that is hammering families across Scotland”.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged on STV’s Good Morning Britain there was more that could be done to help address the cost-of-living crisis despite insisting the UK Government was doing “everything we can”.

Challenged on the case of a 77-year-old viewer, who has seen her energy bill soar and has cut down to one meal a day to save money, Mr Johnson said there were “plenty of things more that we are doing”, and added: “What we want to do is make sure that we have people who are in particular hardship looked after by their councils, so we are putting much more money into local councils.

“We have the particular payments to help elderly people in particular with the cost of heating.”

Put to him that means his Government is not doing everything it can, Mr Johnson admitted: “There is more that we can do.

“But the crucial thing is to make sure we deal with the prices over the medium and long term.”

Ms Sturgeon said that “Boris Johnson’s utterly callous attitude to those who need help was once again exposed in TV interviews yesterday”.

“The only thing that will make the Tories sit up and take notice is when they think their own jobs are on the line – and that’s why this election is so important,” she said.

“While all this is going on, the Tories are neglecting the spiralling cost-of-living crisis – while the SNP are focused at all levels of government to support households through tough times.

“Every SNP councillor elected this week will stand firm against the Tories, ready to lock them out of power. Our priority will be supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis – not just in words but in action – working tirelessly for local communities and local services.

“Every SNP vote this Thursday will have that impact. Together we can put Boris Johnson under real pressure to act now to help families out.”