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Budget Silence on Brexit Impact

Kirsten

The SNP has condemned the Chancellor over his failure to bring forward a Brexit Recovery Fund to mitigate the devastating impact Brexit has had on the economy, people's livelihoods, trade and businesses.


Following the Budget statement today, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) stated that the UK's supply crisis has been "exacerbated by changes in the migration and trading regimes following Brexit."


In its findings, the OBR also concluded that UK goods exports to the EU plunged by 45 per cent "in January of this year (greater than their fall early in the pandemic) and in August were still down around 15 per cent on the level before the transition period ended."

On UK goods imported from the EU, it found that it fell by more than 30 per cent "at the start of the year and were still down around 20 per cent in August compared to December 2020."


The SNP has consistently challenged the UK government to deliver a multi-billion-pound Brexit Recovery Fund, warning that the soaring cost of Brexit has compounded the pressure that families were already under after a decade of Tory austerity cuts, regressive tax hikes and stagnant wages.


Commenting, the SNP's Westminster Deputy leader Kirsten Oswald MP said:


"The Chancellor managed to roll out the soundbites when delivering the Budget while completely ignoring the Brexit elephant in the room."


"Rather than using his Budget to deliver a meaningful a a multi-billion-pound Brexit Recovery fund to face head on the devastating impact Brexit has had on the economy, households, trade and businesses, Rishi Sunak shamefully turned his back on it."


"The heavy price of Brexit has compounded the pressure that families were already under after a decade of devastating Tory austerity cuts, regressive tax hikes and stagnant wages."


"The OBR makes clear that Brexit has 'exacerbated' the supply chain crisis facing the UK - with severe staffing shortages, empty supermarket shelves, rotting food in fields, and the rising cost of goods and services."


"While the EU has taken steps to support its member states and given Ireland €1.05 billion from the EU’s Brexit mitigation fund, the UK government refused to deliver a single penny of compensation to mitigate the devastating impact Brexit has had."


"It's increasingly clear that Scotland is vulnerable under Westminster control. The only way to keep Scotland safe from the long-term damage of Tory Brexit is to become an independent country."



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Kirsten Oswald
SNP candidate

for East Renfrewshire

© 2020 Kirsten Oswald 

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