Chancellor George Osborne has been urged to ditch austerity economics in his next Budget and adopt an alternative approach “instead of inflicting more pain”.
SNP depute leader Stewart Hosie called on the Tory Chancellor to “adopt a sensible strategy” to managing the UK’s finances.
But he told the SNP spring conference in Glasgow he feared Mr Osborne would repeat previous “mistakes with a vengeance” on March 16.
Mr Hosie used his speech to launch an attack on Conservative economic policies, accusing Mr Osborne of “stupidity” and of imposing “an unnecessary decade of austerity” on the UK.
The SNP MP claimed the Chancellor had “strangled the lifeblood from the recovery by cutting too much to quickly with little regard to the consequences”.
He told the conference: “By the final year of this Parliament he will be cutting £40 billion a year more than is necessary to run a balanced budget – £40 billion of cuts every year more than is necessary to balance the books.
“That’s not economics, that is stupidity.”
Mr Hosie continued: “Even in this Parliament, when he has been continually warned about repeating the mistakes of the past, he has done so.
“I fear for the country he will repeat those mistakes with a vengeance next week and none of that pain he will inflict is necessary.”
He said the Chancellor “could adopt a sensible strategy, one which is fiscally responsible and sustainable” with Mr Hosie arguing increasing spending by a “modest 0.5% in real terms would allow for substantial new investment and would guarantee those on benefits do not fall any further behind”.
He insisted: “There is an alternative route and he should seize the opportunity instead of inflicting more pain.”