A Lanarkshire councillor has slammed the Westminster government for providing "cuts not cash" in a row over the cost of living crisis.
Rutherglen Central and North representative Janine Calikes made the remarks as locals feel the squeeze from increased food prices, and rising fuel and energy bills.
She claims the Conservative government should be doing more to help locals and that they have not provided any extra cash.
However her words brought a stinging rebuke from the Tories, who pointed the finger of blame at the SNP administration at Holyrood and accused the local politician of being part of a "grievance machine".
Councillor Calikes comments came after the Scottish Finance secretary Kate Forbes stated the Scottish Government was still waiting on £290m of extra cash promised earlier this year by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
Councillor Calikes told Lanarkshire Live : "“It is scandalous the Tories have tried to pull the wool over the eyes of people in Rutherglen by claiming they would be providing extra cash to deal with the cost of living crisis.
"But instead, they are short-changing South Lanarkshire by over £17m – equating to £115 per household.
"Rishi Sunak made a huge fanfare about how Westminster was being generous to Scotland when the truth is that they have reneged on this and they have provided nothing extra at all.
"And again, the Scottish Government has to make good on a Tory tax swindle by finding funds from its limited budget to help out hard-pressed families by cutting £150 off their council tax bills.
"Through our Budget in South Lanarkshire Council, we expect to continue having the lowest council tax in mainland Scotland as we know the Tory cost of living crisis is hitting local families hard.
"But when it comes to the Tories, all we get is cuts, not cash."
A Scottish Conservatives spokesman said: "It is rich of local SNP members to talk about cuts when they have failed to oppose devastating cuts being passed onto South Lanarkshire year after year.
"Only this week we saw Audit Scotland deliver a highly critical report which highlighted how councils have been with cuts of over 4 per cent in recent years from the SNP Government.
"Instead of ramping up the typical nationalist grievance machine, SNP councillors should be lobbying their bosses in Edinburgh to use the record UK Government funding at their disposal.
"Everyone has a duty to help our communities through this cost-of-living crisis and that’s where all of our focus should be right now.”
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