RACHEL Reeves has been branded a “Tory tribute act” after she confirmed plans to slash civil service costs by billions – and a new report predicted that families across the UK will see living standards fall under Labour.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, the Chancellor said Labour will cut the cost of running the government by 15% before the next General Election, but repeatedly rejected the description of austerity or of using Conservative policies.
Reeves also rejected claims from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) analysis which suggests the average family could be £1400 a year worse off by 2030 during an interview with Sky News on the same morning.
The news of spending cuts to the civil service follows the Labour Government’s announcement earlier this week that they plan to slash the welfare budget by £5 billion by changing eligibility for the main disability benefit.
Reeves denied on the BBC show that Labour is heading towards austerity after the party pledged during their General Election campaign not to return to the cost-cutting measures of the previous Tory administration.
However, SNP MP Dave Doogan (below) said Labour's previous promises are “worthless” and that sticking to their own self-imposed fiscal rules means “more of the same for the public”.
He said: “The public would be forgiven for failing to recognise a Labour Chancellor on the airwaves this morning – as Rachel Reeves' Tory tribute act was laid bare, unrepentant in her following of the same mistakes of the Conservatives.
“During the election campaign, Labour promised the public change from the austerity agenda of the Tories – but sticking by their self-imposed fiscal rules means more of the same for the public. Labour's promises are, in reality, worthless.”
JRF, which conducts research into reducing poverty, said it believes the UK Government will miss one of its stated “milestones”, to raise living standards across the UK before the next election.
Doogan added: “Scotland's economy continues to be an afterthought for successive Westminster governments who remain tied to broken fiscal rules.
“Decisions about Scotland's economy should be taken here in Scotland. That can only happen with the full powers of independence.”
The cuts to the civil service and welfare budget are expected to be outlined in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the prediction of the average family being £1400 a year worse by 2030 could be bleaker as JRF’s analysis doesn't account for the £5bn in cuts to welfare.
The charity said it came up with its prediction by modelling forecasts from the Bank of England along with others and also conducted a poll of 5000 people with YouGov.
Following the publication of the report Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater (below) said there is nothing “inevitable” about poverty and that living standards have fallen due to inequality throughout the UK.
She said: “These stark figures should see an urgent change in direction from Downing Street.
“They expose the extent to which the economy is failing households and families all across the UK. We live in one of the wealthiest societies there has ever been, but there are millions of people who have no access to that wealth - not while it is being hoarded by a small group of extremely rich people.
“There is nothing inevitable about poverty, falling living standards or such vast inequality. They are the results of choices that have been made by powerful people with no care for the human cost of their actions. “Over the last few years we have had a perfect storm of UK government cruelty and failures.”
Slater added that the positive gains to living standards in Scotland have been “offset” by the Labour government who have decided to continue Tory policies and act as “business as usual” since taking power.
She said: “We've had a disastrous Brexit that hiked up prices and cost jobs, Liz Truss and her failed economic experiments that cost everyone, and, after 14 years of waiting, we now have a Labour government that is decimating social security and cutting the incomes of some of the most vulnerable people.
“In Scotland, we have used the limited powers of devolution to make a difference, from free bus travel for young people to a real living wage for all public sector contractors, secured by the Scottish Greens. Yet, so much of that work is being offset by a Labour government that is wasting its huge majority on continuing with business as usual.”
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
