SNP MP Mhairi Black launched a blistering attack on the Tories’ austerity agenda at the SNP conference in Aberdeen yesterday, writes Zoe Streatfield.

Ms Black told delegates that she was “witnessing some of the most right-wing and cruellest policies imaginable” being passed in front of her eyes.

She slammed Westminster for being “top down, out of date and out of touch” and wondered if the Tories were so genuinely out of touch that they can’t see the damage their policies are doing.

Ms Black praised the Scottish government for rejecting the “economic madness” of austerity but claimed that the “reality” is that Scotland “will always be constrained as long as we’re part of this union.”

But Deputy First Minister and MSP John Swinney praised the continuing council tax freeze that has hit funding of local services and announced plans to give councils the power to cut business rates.

He said the move would boost economic activity following a rise in unemployment and a slowdown in economic growth in Scotland.