SNP calls on Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to resign

The SNP has called for Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng to resign or be sacked following the impact of his mini-Budget last Friday.

The Bank of England had to intervene earlier this week after measures outlined in the fiscal statement caused the pound to fall to a record low against the dollar and led to concerns over the solvency of pension funds.

Kwarteng and Prime Minister Liz Truss met with officials from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility earlier. 

Following the meeting, the Treasury re-iterated its plan to publish an economic and fiscal forecast on 23 November.

It has also emerged that the OBR offered to provide a forecast to the chancellor to go alongside the fiscal statement, but this offer was not taken up.

Commenting, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford MP, said: “It’s time for this clueless chancellor to pack his bags and go.
 
“Alongside the prime minister, Kwasi Kwarteng have taken a wrecking ball to the UK’s finances – leaving millions of families across the UK in deep distress.
 
“And now we are being told that despite the OBR publishing their forecast to the UK government, the Treasury will delay the publication until November 23. This is simply unacceptable. 
 
“Within days of taking office, we have once again seen the devastating consequences of Scotland being shackled to this outdated, corrupt Westminster system. People’s mortgages, pensions and savings are all being badly hit – and yet the Tories have no plan to fix it. 
 
“Instead of trying to dodge accountability, the Chancellor must do the honourable thing and resign – and if he doesn’t he should be sacked.”