London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

'Fairytale economics' now a nightmare - Ian Blackford

'Fairytale economics' now a nightmare - Ian Blackford

Ian Blackford has described Tory economic plans as a "nightmare".

The SNP Westminster leader said Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng had made "the worst first impression in the history of British politics".

And he said the "inequality and incompetence of (the) Budget will go down as one of the worst financial interventions in modern history."

He told his party's conference that Scotland should not be "shackled to the Westminster shambles".

During his speech in Aberdeen, he said: "What was once 'fairytale economics' - used to bribe votes from Tory members in the summer - has become everyone else's nightmare this autumn and winter."

He laid down a challenge to Conservative MPs.

"Here's a test for the new Conservative rebels who are magically multiplying by the day.

"If they have any sense of morality - if they have any backbone - they will join with us in stopping any real-terms cuts to benefits and any return to austerity."

He added: "This is now broke, broken Britain. Your homes, your pensions, your incomes are not safe under Westminster control.

"It is a cost, a risk, a price that Scotland can't afford to pay any longer."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon watched over proceedings in Aberdeen


The three-day conference is the first in-person gathering of the party since before the Covid pandemic.

Earlier, deputy leader Keith Brown took aim at the UK government, saying that Liz Truss was a "symptom of the dysfunction at Westminster".

He said of Liz Truss: "She has delivered more chaos and confusion than even the most pessimistic prediction."

Watched by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, he went on: "In less than a month, she has tanked the economy; risked the pensions of millions; scrapped the cap on bankers' bonuses; announced and then U-turned on income tax cuts for the wealthy; created a debt crisis; and showed the world she is singularly unfit for the job.

"The chaos she has created is no surprise.

"She has been a Tory government minister for a decade, serving under Cameron, May and Johnson. From austerity to Brexit, she's been complicit in inflicting the worst Tory policies on the people of this country.

"It is a sobering thought that when the history of 2022 is written, it will record that Boris Johnson was not even the worst prime minister this year."


'Dysfunction at Westminster'


Mr Brown added: "What is clear is that Liz Truss is a symptom of the dysfunction at Westminster - not the cause.

"The very fact that she and her policy agenda was deemed acceptable to enter Downing Street in the first place speaks volumes."

The deputy leader made a call for members to be united and to campaign for independence with kindness.

He said the way the SNP conducts the campaign is an advert for the Scotland that he wants to see.

Mr Brown also said the Westminster system was beyond repair, claiming Labour were the handmaidens of more Tory rule.

He condemned Labour, describing leader Sir Keir Starmer as "just another Tony Blair" and accusing the party of being "as Trumpian as the Tories in their denial of Scottish democracy".


'Deeply damaging Brexit'


He told delegates: "It is an incontrovertible fact that the SNP has a cast-iron mandate to hold an independence referendum.

"But Labour always side with the Tories to protect Westminster control - no matter how high a price the people of Scotland pay. Labour supports the deeply damaging Brexit that Scotland did not vote for.

"I repeat, Labour supports Brexit, and stands against any Scottish aspiration for our country to re-join the European family of nations.

"And never forget, never forgive, that in 2014 it was Labour who championed the No campaign message that only a No vote would deliver economic stability."

Mr Brown announced plans for the party to enter into the "broadcasting arena".

"We will soon launch a new broadcast platform, with the first episode of this new show covering the debate over Scotland's future," he told the conference.

The show appeared to be a podcast named Scotland's Voices, with a one-minute clip including people from Glasgow reacting to the Prime Minister posted on podcast streaming platforms.

Nicola Sturgeon will deliver her keynote speech on Monday.


Keith Brown MSP said Liz Truss is a "symptom of the dysfunction at Westminster"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×