POLITICS: Ross Greer MSP votes to reject cruel universal credit cut

By Lucy Ashton

Scottish Greens West of Scotland MSP Ross Greer has joined the overwhelming majority of MSPs to oppose the cruel Tory £20 cut to universal credit.

The Scottish Conservatives shamefully tried to amend the motion to argue “this is the right time” to plunge those worst impacted by the pandemic into further poverty.

The cut will impact 9,400 families in West Dunbartonshire, cutting their income by £1,040 per year.

Ross Greer MSP, left,  said:  “Once again, the Tories have shown their true colours, inflicting the biggest social security cut ever seen in British history, throwing 9,400 families in West Dunbartonshire into despair at a time when so many people are struggling with the impact of the pandemic.

“Indeed, they have made it clear they don’t understand that many people claiming universal credit are in fact in work, a damning indictment of their cruel low-wage economy.

“The £20 uplift was not an act of benevolence but an admission of failure – an admission that the system had been so damaged by cuts that it was no longer able to perform its basic function: to provide adequate support for people needing help with their incomes for reasons beyond their control.

“The cut is symbolic of a UK government that knows the price of some things but the value of nothing and shows why Scotland needs to chart a different path.”