AN SNP MP has hit out at the UK Government's "nonsense" approach to opposition parties at the Budget after all they were given in advance was a heavily redacted booklet.
Alison Thewliss, who represents Glasgow Central, tweeted about the issue, saying the Treatury brief the press before the Budget but opposition politicians were only given a booklet with key details blanked out.
"The Treasury brief the press extensively ahead of the Budget, and yet this is what the opposition get advance sight of on Budget Day. A nonsense," she said.
Her tweet was accompanied by an image of the booklet which was given out before Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented the Budget in Parliament and has black ink covering important points.
The document was criticised on Twitter, with many pointing out the environmental impact of using so much unneccessary ink as the UK prepares to host COP26.
Chris Duffy said: "Given the price of ink these days they could probably find some of the savings they claim to need to make by not using it all to redact as liberally."
Martin Kelly added: "That's appalling, not to mention a waste of paper and ink with COP26 coming up. That's not Freedom of Information nor scrutiny either."
James Meadway said: "One of the very hardest jobs in British politics is responding to Chancellor's Budget speech. People have cute idea that Opposition get plenty of notice on the speech and the Budget documents. Nope. They turn up just ahead of the speech being delivered. And they're redacted..."
Ross Aitchison said: "As we approach the commencement of COP26 our MPs are printing out hundreds of pages of unreadable black ink."
It comes as the Chancellor's plan to cut tax on flights across the UK was criticised ahead of COP26.
READ MORE: Blackford blasts Sunak's flight tax cut ahead of COP26 as a 'disgrace'
Ian Blackford said: "COP26 kicks off this week, what on earth are we doing when we’re saying to the rest of the world that the Prime Minister has spoken today about the importance of 1.5 (degrees) … and the Chancellor wants to cut air passenger duty for domestic flights, and I can see him nodding his head, and increase air passenger duty admittedly on long-haul flights.
"But the fact is that C02 emissions per mile are much higher on domestic flights than they are on long-haul flights."
The Treasury brief the press extensively ahead of the Budget, and yet this is what the opposition get advance sight of on Budget Day. A nonsense. #Budget20221 pic.twitter.com/vo2FaMa9Sk
— Alison Thewliss 🧡 (@alisonthewliss) October 27, 2021
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