A Renfrewshire MP has slammed Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a "blast from the past" as criticism of his inaction over the growing cost of living crisis mounts.
Gavin Newlands hit out as inflation jumped to its highest level in 40 years and prices rose to their highest in decades.
It comes as the cost of living increases across the board, hitting the poorest in society hard.
Industry experts also predict energy costs - which crippled the nation when they rocketed by 54 per cent in April - could rise by another 50 per cent in October this year when the latest price cap runs out.
The conflict in Ukraine has also led to the disruption of food supplies, with cooking oil in short supply and global wheat prices - crucial to the price of basic foods like bread - rising, and fears growing that inflation, which now stands at nine per cent could spiral out of control.
Poverty Alliance Chair Peter Kelly last week said the let-down Queen’s Speech "shows that the UK Government still hasn’t got the courage to make the changes we need" and added: "They have failed to put forward a vision for our future, failed to have compassion for people, and failed to promise the economic justice we all need."
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Now Paisley and Renfrewshire North SNP MP Gavin has waded into the row once more, saying: "The UK Government’s programme for the future has been shown to be a blast from the past, a relic of the Victorian era where the poor were blamed for their own poverty. At least Jacob Rees-Mogg isn’t shoving children up chimneys – yet.
"The cost of living crisis is hitting households now, yet we have no action and no hint of action from the Chancellor and his colleagues."
And he blasted the missed opportunity presented by the Queen's Speech, continuing: "Parliament has spent the past week debating the measures in the Queen’s Speech, and any action to try and seriously tackle the cost of living crisis is conspicuous by its absence.
"Instead we have compulsory debt on electric bills and an energy market that has been allowed to go completely out of control by the same regulators who are meant to protect the interests of consumers.
"Households up and down the country are facing tough choices about their finances and for the UK Government’s keynote announcement not to contain a single measure that will help families is a disgrace.
"Rishi Sunak’s position in the newly-published Rich List may be safe with his family’s £730 million stash, but for millions of people the coming months will mean a choice between heating and eating if the UK Government don’t pull their finger out.
"If they don’t want to act, they should get out the way and devolve full financial and political power to a Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government who want to support ordinary people in their time of need and who want to build a fairer and more sustainable society.”
We told last week how Renfrewshire residents have already been hard hit by cost of living rises, with one agency reporting pensioners are suffering as they already cannot afford to heat their homes.
Scottish Conservative West Scotland MSP Russell Findlay has defended his party's record, saying: “The UK Government is already delivering a record block grant in Scotland, as well as over £400 million in levelling up funding and extensive support to ease the cost-of-living crisis, such as cutting the National Insurance thresholds, expanding the warm homes payment and cutting fuel duty.
"We look forward to the UK Government getting on with the job of delivering for communities across Scotland and the whole of the UK.”
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