Disappointment, bewilderment, frustration.

All feelings you might have when you think about the state of UK politics, or, if you were a family that attended the viral Willy Wonka immersive experience in Glasgow earlier last week.

It was an event that had us all shocked, with scenes of a post-apocalyptic chocolate factory, terrified children, and stunned parents.

Much like the farce that is Westminster, I can assure you it isn’t the only circus currently in town.

If you were one of the families left feeling short-changed after the event, I have a horrible feeling that the Chancellor’s budget announcement this afternoon will not ease any of your worries.

We are in an unfortunate position where the Willy Wonka experience isn’t the only way people in Glasgow are being conned, and as the Westminster circus rages on, I wouldn’t count on the Chancellor pulling out any stops to help households that are desperately crying out for support.

That is why ahead of the budget later this afternoon the SNP will be calling for the reversal of Tory welfare cuts, an essentials guarantee for Universal Credit, and for the UK Government to match the Scottish Government’s Scottish Child Payment at a UK-wide level.

The reality is, that life for so many people is less chocolate river, and more a tsunami of worry and despair when it comes to mortgage repayments, putting food on the table, and being able to buy the essentials – no thanks to the UK Government’s inaction.

Most (un)surprisingly is that we are now in a position where both the Labour Party and Tories support the removal of capping bankers’ bonuses while opting to maintain the two-child cap and its associated rape clause.

The truth is, whichever ringleader, be it Keir Starmer or his Tory counterpart, is left in charge of the Westminster circus come the next election. For people in Scotland, it will be much of the same continuation of chaos and economic pain.

Fundamentally, we are in a situation where both the UK’s two main political parties actively support callous policies like the two-child cap and rape clause – and only my SNP colleagues I have had enough of a backbone to stay true to our principles and stand up for what is right. Much of this can’t be said for the Labour Party.

My colleagues and I have shown time and time again that only we are able to deliver a strong voice that stands up for the values of people in Scotland, against the backdrop of a Westminster establishment whose priorities are not the same as ours.

But who knows, in the Chancellor’s world of pure imagination, we can only hope that he does not draw inspiration from Charlie Bucket’s four grandparents having to share a bed due to dire poverty and instead reverses his party’s cruel bedroom tax. I won’t hold my breath though.

As a result of 14 years of Westminster-induced austerity, for people across Glasgow and indeed the rest of Scotland, life is far from the marvels and joy of Wonka’s chocolate factory and more like the bleak warehouse we saw on social media last week.

At this point, it seems that independence is our golden ticket when it comes to escaping the immersive experience that is the chaos of Westminster.