NICOLA Sturgeon has called on Liz Truss to resign as Prime Minister – claiming her actions have “heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
Liz Truss sacked now-former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng amid growing anger in the financial sector and her own party over his mini-budget delivered three weeks ago.
The statement by Mr Kwarteng signalled a series of unfunded tax cuts, including for the super-rich, with borrowing levels set to soar.
Mr Kwarteng also angered the markets by refusing the independent OBR to be allowed to publish forecasts alongside the budget update.
But Ms Truss has failed to take a share of the blame, despite sacking Mr Kwarteng for the strategy she brought forward “in lockstep” with him.
Instead, the Prime Minister pointed to “current market issues” for forcing her into the second huge U-turn of the mini-budget - insisting she would not resign in order to maintain "economic stability".
But the First Minister has called on Ms Truss to take responsibility and quit Downing Street.
In a tweet, Ms Sturgeon said: “The best thing Liz Truss could do for economic stability now is resign.
“Her decisions have crashed the economy and heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost of living crisis.
“The only decent thing for Tory MPs to do now is call time on her govt and allow an election.”
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, added that the Prime Minister “has no credibility left”.
He added: “It's now only a matter of time before she's removed from office.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Eleventh hour U-turns and scapegoating aren’t enough to salvage this shambles for Liz Truss.
“It’s not just Kwasi Kwarteng that needs to go. We need to remove all those that were involved in putting together this disastrous plan, and everyone that signed it off – not just the guy who read it out.
“It’s time to remove this economically illiterate and morally bankrupt Tory party from government.
“We need a general election now, so that Labour can boot this rotten Tory government out of office.”
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