SNP’s Westminster leader said: Scotland loses “no matter who becomes prime minister” after the first televised debate of the conservative leadership election on Friday night.
Ian Blackford said the debate showed that “no candidate has the radical mind to tackle the cost of living crisis”.
Five candidates vying to succeed Boris Johnson Kemi BadenochPenny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat – appeared on Channel 4’s leadership hustings.
They were questioned about tackling the cost of living crisis, to which Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss both said if Prime Minister they would cut some green taxes to deal with rising energy bills.
Ms Badenoch told the Channel 4 debate: “Energy is a topic that worries me a lot. I grew up in Nigeria where there were power cuts every day, and they still are.
“I know what it’s like to not be able to turn on the light, so it scares me to see how high the bills get.
“I think one of the things we can do easily is to do away with some of the green taxes.
“We need to tackle climate change, but I think the crisis we are facing now comes first and we need to make people’s lives easier.”
Ms Truss agreed, saying: “Our first priority should be to get more economic growth.”
Candidates also said they could save no more than £150 on annual energy bills.
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “It is wrong to worry people about this.
“Because people will receive up to £1,200 off their energy bills over the course of this year – a third of all people, the most vulnerable in our society.”
Ian Blackford said: “The Tory-induced cost of living has sent energy bills soaring with huge increases to come, but tonight has proved that no candidate has the radical thinking to tackle the cost of living crisis now .
“The UK’s future is already written: unanimous support for the economic catastrophe that is Brexit, the continuation of a decade of brutal Tory austerity and cuts to the green energy sector in the shadow of COP26.
“But with the full powers of independence, Scotland could escape the control of Westminster and send Tory governments to the dustbin of history for good.”