PRIME MINISTER Andy Burnham has been welcomed to No 10 by the SNP with a call for an emergency Budget to “reverse the damage” done by his predecessor.

SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan renewed his calls on Labour to ditch its hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions and the windfall tax on the stratospheric profits of oil and gas giants, urging Mr Burnham to do more than his promise to “bring back hope.”

“While Westminster has been stuck in constant chaos, people’s lives have got worse,” the Angus and Perthshire Glens MP said.

“People in Scotland don’t want more empty promises about ‘hope in their hearts’ — they want money in their pockets and meaningful change to make people’s lives and livelihoods better.

“Andy Burnham must deliver an emergency cost-of-living Budget, and a meaningful package of financial support for families, to reverse the damage done under the Labour Party government and put money back into people’s pockets.

“That must include tackling the soaring cost of energy bills, which are almost £600 higher than the Labour Party promised at the election, reducing the sky-high cost of fuel, and reversing the billions of pounds of damage done to Scottish jobs, businesses and the economy by the Labour Party’s National Insurance tax hike and harmful Brexit policies.”

He also called for a change to the “damaging approach to Scottish industry, which has seen the Labour government shutting the doors on Grangemouth, destroying thousands of Scottish energy jobs and hoarding Scotland’s energy wealth at Westminster.”

Taking a swing at Mr Burnham’s much-heralded commitment to devolution after reports he had told Labour MPs he would not countenance giving Holyrood power to hold a second independence referendum, First Minister John Swinney had called on him to recognise Westminster “does not have the right to dictate Scotland’s future.”

Backing his leader’s line, Mr Doogan added: “A new prime minister must mean a radical change in approach to Scotland’s parliament and democracy — ditching Westminster’s disrespectful agenda, strengthening the powers of the Scottish Parliament, and respecting Scotland’s democratic right to determine our own future in an independence referendum.

“The SNP is ready to work with a new prime minister to secure real support with the cost of living and meaningful change but that must include genuine respect for Scotland.”

The Labour Party was contacted for comment.