Swinney hints at new energy bill support for pensioners

Scotland’s First Minister has hinted determination could beryllium enactment announced for pensioners with their vigor bills successful a connection to Holyrood connected Thursday.

The Scottish Government was forced to hold its ain devolved mentation of wintertime substance payments and extremity its universality aft Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a chopped during the summer.

The announcement, which the Chancellor blamed connected a fund achromatic spread caused by the erstwhile Conservative UK government, acceptable disconnected a governmental tempest and drew disapproval from absorption parties, charities and Scottish ministers.

On Wednesday, John Swinney hinted astatine enactment perchance coming for pensioners struggling to wage their bills this winter, with a connection owed to beryllium made to Holyrood connected the issue.

Speaking to journalists aft a code successful Edinburgh, helium said: “There are imaginable steps that could beryllium taken wrong Scotland to ameliorate the difficulties that are faced by pensioners surviving successful a colder clime without wintertime substance payments.

“That volition evidently beryllium the taxable of a connection to Parliament tomorrow.”

Pressed connected the contented by broadcasters pursuing the speech, Mr Swinney refused to outline what the plans would be, saying the Scottish Parliament indispensable beryllium informed first.

But helium did say: “What I americium definite of is that the Government I pb indispensable beryllium a Government that stands and offers enactment to those who look challenges successful our society, stands alongside those who are capable to instrumentality guardant opportunities, and that’s precisely what volition govern and dictate our attack connected each the issues that we face.”

The First Minister’s comments travel aft Scottish Labour announced it plans to unit a ballot connected wintertime substance payments done an amendment to a societal information Bill adjacent week, which would marque the Scottish Government’s devolved outgo universal, but would let ministers to claw backmost payments made to households which gain supra a level they set.

The announcement comes aft the enactment said it would legislate for the payments if it wins the 2026 Holyrood election, contempt the changes being forced by the UK Government.

Mr Swinney said: “I deliberation successful the tone of trying to find communal ground, I’m grateful for the information that (Scottish Labour leader) Anas Sarwar has present realised the Labour Government successful London is simply a existent large occupation for america with the determination that they’ve taken connected wintertime fuel.

“So that’s astatine slightest a measurement forward, that helium present realises however damaging the chopped to wintertime substance payments has been by the UK Labour Government, a determination which I don’t deliberation immoderate of america though a UK Labour Government would take.”