Scotland’s first minister has called on British prime minister Liz Truss to stand down after she sacked her chancellor and U-turned on a key policy pledge.
Ms Truss relieved Kwasi Kwarteng of his duties on Friday, with the ex-chancellor dashing back from a meeting of finance ministers in Washington to learn his fate.
Mr Kwarteng announced his mini-budget to the UK's House of Commons last month, with the tax cuts sending the pound spiralling against the dollar and the Bank of England being forced to intervene.
Despite announcing that the planned scrapping of the top rate of tax would not go ahead, it was not enough to save his job.
Advertisement— Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng) October 14, 2022
Ms Truss, speaking in a Downing Street press conference on Friday, also announced the planned cut to corporation tax would be scrapped, with the levy actually being increased to 25 per cent.
Speaking on Twitter, Nicola Sturgeon urged the prime minister to quit, adding that if she refuses, her MPs should back an election.
“The best thing Liz Truss could do for economic stability now is resign,” she said.
“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 government and allow an election.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said “11th hour U-turns and scapegoating” will not be enough to save Ms 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.”
Calls for an election were joined by the Scottish Lib Dems on Friday, with leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, who said: “Enough is enough.
“It started with Boris Johnson failing our country, and now Liz Truss is trashing our economy. It’s time for us to have our say in a general election.”
Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater added that, as well as Mr Kwarteng, the prime minister should also resign.
“It’s not just the chancellor who needs to go,” she said.
“It is also this dangerous Prime Minister who appointed him and the cabinet who have supported him every step of the way.
“This has already gone on too long, and far too many people are suffering.
“If Liz Truss wants to emerge with any shred of credibility, then it can’t just be her chancellor that leaves Downing Street, it must also be her.”
