"Labour leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff sought credit for the most progressive measures in Rachel Reeves' budget on Wednesday, pinning their hopes for next year's critical elections on a package that increases funding for Scotland and Wales by nearly 2bn. That funding boost and the abolition of the two-child limit for universal credit recipients were seen as a relief in both capitals."
"Opinion polls have consistently suggested the Scottish and Welsh Labour parties both face humiliating defeats in May's devolved parliament elections, largely because of voter anger over the actions of Keir Starmer's government at Westminster. In Scotland, Labour has trailed in second or third place behind the SNP and Reform UK in polling. In Wales, where Labour has dominated for a century, the party is predicted to come in behind Plaid Cymru and Reform."
"Budget 2025: key points at a glance The Welsh and Scottish parties lobbied the prime minister and the chancellor to tackle the cost of living crisis, particularly on energy bills and for low-income households, to combat surging polling support for their opponents. Sarwar's optimistic take was boosted by the Scottish TUC leader, Roz Foyer, a repeated critic of the UK government, who said raising the national living wage, cutting energy bills, scrapping the pernicious two-child cap and"
Labour leaders in Edinburgh and Cardiff claimed credit for progressive measures in Rachel Reeves' budget that increase funding for Scotland and Wales by nearly 2bn and abolish the two-child limit for universal credit. Leaders hailed reductions in child poverty, lower energy bills, higher wages and a rejection of austerity. The Welsh first minister said the budget would put more money into the pockets of those who need it most and support hard-pressed public services. Opinion polls show Scottish and Welsh Labour trailing opponents ahead of May's devolved parliament elections, prompting lobbying on cost-of-living measures.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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