INVERCLYDE MP Ronnie Cowan has branded the UK Government budget a 'return to Tory austerity cuts'.

He says the measures unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak fail to deliver the investment required to tackle the child poverty crisis and deliver a fair recovery.

He said: “The UK Government are threatening Scotland's recovery with a return to austerity cuts, an extreme Brexit, and a budget that completely failed to deliver the meaningful change and investment needed to build a fairer society.

“I wrote to the Chancellor, over a month ago, to ask he make the Universal Credit uplift permanent, take action on access to cash in our communities and extend the furlough scheme.

"Sadly, he’s failed to listen to the reasonable demands to address child poverty and there were no plan to raise statutory sick pay or introduce a Real Living Wage.

“Millions of people have been left behind by the UK Government throughout the pandemic - and this budget failed to plug the gaps for the three million, including a number of people in Inverclyde, excluded and failed to deliver a commitment that full 80 per cent furlough support will be available for as long as the devolved nations need it.”