Swinney demands action as he warns cost of living crisis to ‘get worse’

The cost-of-living crisis will “get worse” as a result of US and Israeli action in Iran, Scotland’s First Minister has said, as he called for action.

John Swinney has urged Downing Street to step in and alleviate the cost increases hitting consumers on energy bills and at petrol stations.

Speaking in Edinburgh on Tuesday, the SNP leader hit out at the US-Israeli offensive in the Gulf, which has seen oil prices spike, as President Donald Trump continues to threaten the Iranian regime.

Swinney said: “My message today is very simple: we’ve got to make sure that we protect people in Scotland from the cost of living crisis that everyone is experiencing today and which is going to get worse because of this intervention – the unwarranted and illegal intervention by the United States and Israel in Iran.

“That is just simply going to fuel increases in energy costs for everybody, and it’s going to affect people here in Scotland, despite the fact that we are an energy powerhouse here in Scotland today.

“My message today is very simple, and it’s a clear message to the United Kingdom Government – my message is stop dithering.”

The UK Government should scrap its plans to increase fuel duty in September, the First Minister said, along with scrapping VAT on energy bills.