More Scottish Children In Poverty This Christmas Due To Con-Dem Cuts

TOO MUCH OF WELFARE POLICY WILL REMAIN IN THE GRIP OF WESTMINSTER
The Scottish National Party has said too many children are suffering this Christmas at the hands of UK Government welfare cuts and delays to benefit payments.

Shelter has estimated that 4,000 children in Scotland will be homeless this Christmas. The Child Poverty Action Group has forecast that by 2020 up to 100,000 more children will live in poverty in Scotland, largely as a result of ongoing tax and welfare changes.

Over 60 charities and civil society organisations focussing on poverty and welfare rights in Scotland had called for the full devolution of welfare policy to Scotland in their submissions to the Smith Commission.

The Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, Barnardos, Citizens Advice Scotland, Shelter and a range of other groups had argued for the Scottish Parliament to have responsibility over the majority of welfare policy yet £15 billion of welfare spend will remain reserved to Westminster with only £2.5 billion transferred to the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“Too many children in Scotland will be living in poverty this Christmas and too many working families will be struggling to put food on the table and heat their home.

“Poverty in Scotland is being perpetuated by UK Government policies and the powers we need to tackle this problem – such as working tax credits and child benefit – will remain in the grip of Westminster.

“The promised new powers for Scotland on welfare are welcome, but the reality is that the public and those who work on the frontline with the vulnerable and with struggling working families expected the UK Government to deliver so much more.

“Charities and civic society groups made it clear in their submissions that only by devolving welfare wholesale could we make a transformational impact on poverty in Scotland. However, even if the welfare powers recommended by the Smith Commission are delivered, 85% of welfare will remain in the grip of Westminster.”

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Need For Food Banks To Be Open On Christmas Day "Dickensian"

SCOTLAND CAN SEND A MESSAGE TO WESTMINSTER ON POWERS TO TACKLE POVERTY
The SNP has said that families using food banks this Christmas Day is a result of the “Dickensian impact” of welfare cuts.

The Trussell Trust has said that between April and September of this year more than 15,000 children have used a food bank and figures show that 48% of people using food banks have done so as a result of benefit cuts and delays.

Food banks are expecting a rise in demand over Christmas and will be open on Christmas Day.

The Child Poverty Action Group has estimated that by 2020 up to 100,000 more children will live poverty in Scotland, as a result of on-going tax and benefit changes.

However, the proposals set out by the Smith Commission will leave key powers for tackling poverty and creating a fairer social security system at Westminster.

Commenting, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“It is a disgrace that in a country as wealthy as Scotland food banks will be open on Christmas Day and will be relied upon by families with children.

“Heartless Tory Ministers are cutting £6 billion from the incomes of the least well-off in Scotland and fully £1 billion of these cuts will directly impact on children – and we are now seeing the Dickensian impact of these cuts.

“But with both the Tories and Labour committed to further austerity and social security cuts, we face the prospect of 100,000 more children living in poverty by 2020.

“In the New Year Scotland will have an opportunity at the General Election to send a message to Westminster that the Scottish Parliament must have the powers it needs to tackle poverty and inequality.”

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Report Shows Royal Mail Undervalued in Botched Sell-Off

PRIVATISATION HAS BEEN A FIASCO SINCE DAY ONE
In a report out today the former Business Minister Lord Myners has suggested that there was a £180 million shortfall in the sale of Royal Mail last year as the shares could have been sold for 30p more per share – but were not as the coalition did not take all Royal Mail’s assets into account and ministers were alarmed about all the ‘considerable‘ risks in the sell off.

Commenting, Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford said:

"This is yet more evidence that the privatisation of Royal Mail has been a complete botch up from day one. This report shows that the UK Government could have made millions more for the taxpayer from this rushed, ill thought through sell off - but didn’t. This privatisation has been a fiasco from the start with Royal Mail itself now saying it fears for the future of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) – which is so important for businesses and consumers in Scotland .

"Each new disaster has been utterly predictable. In fact the SNP has been warning about this since the whole sorry sell off started - and the people who will pay for this incompetence are the individuals and businesses in rural parts of Scotland who need and should have the same postal services as the rest of us.

"Royal Mail should never have been privatised and it is painfully clear that the UK government should never have sold off a valuable public asset at well below its true value and despite all the warning about the end of the USO. We know the majority of Scots were totally opposed to the privatisation of Royal Mail - more than any other part of the UK. We need a postal service that meets the needs of our communities and one which is brought back into public ownership."

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Local MP backs Abolition of Bedroom Tax

TORIES AND LIB-DEMS REFUSE TO BACK DOWN ON ‘SHOCKINGLY BAD POLICY’
SNP MPs, including Banff & Buchan’s Eilidh Whiteford, have again voted for the abolition of the Bedroom Tax following a debate in Westminster.

Local MP Dr Whiteford and SNP colleagues have consistently voted against the Bedroom Tax at Westminster and did so again this week.

Speaking during the debate in the House of Commons, the SNP’s Work & Pensions Spokesperson Eilidh Whiteford MP said:

“As well as being a bad policy, the bedroom tax is, above all, a nasty and vindictive policy. It does not surprise me that the Tories have imposed it on us. This is supposed to be the season of good will, but there is a distinct lack of Christmas cheer among the people still dealing with the financial consequences of this fiasco of a policy.”

Commenting after the vote, Dr Whiteford said:

“This shockingly bad policy continues to put pressure on low income households in the North-east and contributes to food and fuel poverty and the rise in demand for foodbank support.

“Anti-poverty charities and organisations have roundly criticised the Bedroom Tax and in Scotland the Scottish Government has diverted funds from other budgets in order to support the families and individuals affected.

“I commend the efforts of council benefits staff who are distributing these funds to affected households and I commend the Scottish Government for providing money to tackle this unfair policy head on.

“That diversion of money to mitigate against the Bedroom Tax is the right thing to do to protect the vulnerable groups affected but it is an absolute disgrace that the Tory/Lib-Dem coalition continue to go against the advice of experts and widespread opposition throughout the country to this iniquitous policy.

“The SNP will continue to actively oppose the Bedroom Tax and I sincerely hope that the UK Government will back down sooner rather than later.”

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