Ian Blackford urges UK Government to save Christmas for three million excluded from financial support

Ian Blackford has urged the UK Government to save Christmas for the three million excluded from financial support measures.

The SNP Westminster leader today urged Boris Johnson to perform a “U-turn” on providing support, explaining there were millions who had received no help at all.

In an urgent call to step in, Mr Blackford revealed things were so bad some had even taken their own lives.

He told the Commons: “There are millions who still haven’t had a single penny of support from this UK Government.

“Yesterday I met with Excluded UK, who represent many of these three million citizens.

“For the last nine months, the excluded have been living without any help, without any hope and it is now tragically costing lives.

“They told me something genuinely shocking – they are aware of eight people who have taken their own lives in the last ten days.

“We are now a little over three weeks from Christmas. These people need help.

“Will the Prime Minister commit to looking again at the support package for the excluded to ensure no-one, but no-one, is left behind?”.

The PM insisted he was sympathetic to those who had taken their lives, but insisted measures were in place.

Boris Johnson explained: “We’re investing massively in mental health support across the country as he knows, which flows through in Barnett consequentials obviously to Scotland.

“We’ve put in a huge package of support and he knows this, but I must repeat this for self-employed people across the country, and I know there are hard-to-reach people, but they are also supported with the increases in Universal Credit and the many other means of support that are currently on offer.”

Mr Blackford insisted the measures did not go far enough, with the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP urging the PM to deliver a “meaningful” package of support.

He said: “I have to say, I do this with regret, that simply isn’t good enough.

"This has been an abject failure by this UK Government and the Prime Minister has been missing in action.

“The Government has U-turned on almost everything else, so why can’t the Prime Minister and the Chancellor change their minds on their support for these three million people?”

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