Nicola Sturgeon calls for emergency meeting on cost-of-living crisis

Nicola Sturgeon has written to Boris Johnson calling for an emergency meeting on the cost-of-living crisis.

The First Minister sent a letter to the Prime Minister on Monday in which she called for steps to be taken to help people in need.

And she urged Johnson to bring forward a meeting scheduled to take place in September due to the “deteriorating” situation.

The SNP leader warned the Prime Minister that many people across the UK “simply cannot afford” to wait until next month for further action to be taken.

1/ The cost of living crisis is worsening by the day. Food, energy & housing costs are soaring & destitution is a stark prospect for many. @scotgov will do everything we can & I will convene our Resilience Committee this week, but the key powers/resources are held by the UK govt
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 8, 2022

Downing Street has since ruled out any immediate plans to introduce tax and spending measures aimed at easing the crisis.

Johnson is set to leave office next month, with either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak due to become the next prime minister.

No 10 said that “by convention it is not for this prime minister to make major fiscal interventions during this period”.

In her letter, the First Minister said that the Scottish Government is “investing almost £3bn this year in a range of measures” to help address cost of living pressures.

However, she added that “it is a statement of fact that many of the levers which would make the biggest difference lie with the UK Government”.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown earlier urged the UK Government to take emergency measures to tackle the crisis.

Brown, who served in No 10 between 2007 and 2010, warned that pensioners will have to choose between feeding themselves and their gas and electricity meters.

He also insisted that waiting until September to introduce an emergency budget would be “too late” for those facing bills that they cannot afford to pay.

“There’s no doubt that people are going to go without food and they’re going to go hungry and cold in October if we don’t take action now,” Brown told Sky News on Monday.

“It really is not good enough for leadership candidates to go around the country saying I’ll have a plan next month, the month after.

“I want the two leadership candidates and Boris Johnson to get together. If they won’t I think parliament should be recalled, and there should be emergency meetings with COBRA.”