Anas Sarwar pledges £100m of emergency economic support

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Anas Sarwar has pledged millions of pounds in emergency support to make life more affordable for Scots.

The Scottish Labour leader offered £100m of help if international instability continues to affect the cost of living after the election.

Sarwar said the package in the first 100 days of a Scottish Labour government would include crisis loans for businesses, bulk-buying fuel to help drive down prices at the pumps and emergency grants or interest-free loans.

GT Election logo (Image: Newsquest)

He also promised to work with supermarkets to cut the cost of basic shopping items.

Sarwar claimed the SNP had increasing taxes and promised no income tax rises under a Labour Scottish government for the next five years.



The Labour leader, said: “John Swinney has made his choice. He has chosen to raise taxes on working Scots and waste money on bloated bureaucracy while families are struggling to make ends meet.

“People are paying more and getting less, and after 20 years of SNP Government they are right to ask what they have to show for it.

“Leadership is about finding solutions to problems. All John Swinney does is point the finger somewhere else instead of coming up with a plan to help Scots struggling right now.”

Other Scottish Labour plans to make life more affordable include topping up tax-free childcare to £3,000 per child, funding two weeks of summer holiday clubs for children, and introducing breakfast clubs in every primary school.

The party would also widen eligibility for energy efficiency grants so 3,000 more older households can upgrade their homes, with rural grants worth £500 more.

It would aim to increase uptake of the Warm Home Discount so every eligible household gets £150 off their bills, and reduce tax for first-time buyers, saving them up to £1,100

Mr Sarwar continued: “I’m standing to fix the mess, get the basics right and build a better future for Scotland.

“That means practical help with the cost of living: lower childcare costs, help with energy bills, action on housing costs, no income tax rate rises for five years, and cutting government waste so more money goes to the priorities of working people.

“If this international instability continues, we will not sit back and let Scottish households and businesses pay the price. We will act with £100 million of emergency support in our first 100 days.”

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