The row over proposed tax credit cuts got personal as Alex Salmond claimed a man who changed his name from Gideon to George to “make his life easier” should have no problem backing down.
With pressure on the Chancellor growing, Mr Salmond insisted Mr Osborne will eventually be left with no option but to perform a U-turn.
“Things are really heating up,” the former First Minister said.
“Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests that thirteen million families will lose £260 a year on average when considering all the changes while three million will lose a four figure sum.
“350,000 children in poorer families in Scotland will feel the hard Tory edge of Osborne economics.
Mr Salmond continued: “There is the old adage that when in a political hole you should stop digging. To this can be added when stuck in a controversy then stop fibbing.
“Chancellor George Osborne previously claimed that anyone working full-time on the National Living Wage will be better off by 2017, after changes to taxes, tax credits and benefits are taken into consideration.
“But many people claiming tax credits are likely to be working part-time and many more people will be worse off next year.”
The SNP MP insisted it as not too late for Mr Osborne to about-turn.
“For Osborne it could not come at a more inconvenient time for him politically,” Mr Salmond continued.
“He was hoping to be regarded by the end of this year as the unquestioned heir apparent to Cameron.
“However, it strikes me that someone who once changed his own name from Gideon to George to ‘make his life easier’ is perfectly capable of changing a taxation policy.”
* To read Alex Salmond’s full and exclusive column don’t miss Monday’s Courier, also available as a digital edition.