Sarwar: I would not cut benefits for disabled Scots as first minister

Anas Sarwar has said he would “absolutely not” slash disabled Scots’ benefits if he became first minister.

The Scottish Labour leader’s pledge came amid the furore at Westminster over Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to reform the welfare system.

On Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister was forced to abandon a key plank of his welfare reform agenda to get the legislation through its first Commons test.

In Scotland, Pip is being replaced by the adult disability payment.

The Scottish Government has promised not to replicate Sir Keir’s changes to the welfare system, with the Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville having called on Labour to scrap all of its proposals, pointing to the UK Government’s own analysis which shows it could plunge 150,000 people in to poverty.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s events at Westminster, Mr Sarwar said that figure did not take into account other Labour measures to help people get back into work, or economic policies such as a lift in the minimum wage.

“The SNP has not got a leg to stand on here.

“This is a political party that’s, let’s be honest about it, whatever changes a UK Labour Government was making, it was always going to oppose them, because that’s what they think their job is – to simply just shout from these sidelines.

“This is an SNP Government that is embedding structural poverty here in Scotland.

“There are 10,000 children homeless on the SNP’s watch, stuck in temporary accommodation, when we have a housing emergency here in Scotland, and they’re wholly responsible for housing in Scotland.”

But he said claims that benefits are being cut are not true, as the welfare bill is still set to rapidly grow.

The number of people claiming benefits for health-related reasons has skyrocketed in recent years, with the UK Government last year predicting the numbers of working-age claimants of Pip in England and Wales could surge from 2.7 million in 2023/24 to 4.3 million in 2029/30.

At the time, the Office for Budget Responsibility said the overall benefits bill for working-age people would rise from £48.5 billion in 2024 to £75.7 billion by 2030.

“We all accept the principle of reform,” Mr Sarwar said.

“We all accept that we have to prioritise work, and that work is the best route out of poverty.

“We all accept that. Those that can work should work.

“We also all accept that those who can’t work should get the support they need, and also accept those that need support to get into work should get that support too.”

Commenting on Mr Sarwar’s remarks, SNP MSP Colette Stevenson said the Scottish Labour leader was not prepared to stand up to the Prime Minister.

“SNP-run Scotland is the only part of the UK where child poverty is going down rather than up, we’re scrapping the two-child cap, and we’re protecting disabled people by maintaining the Adult Disability Payment here in Scotland, rather than passing on Labour’s proposed cuts in England,” she said.

“Anas Sarwar has proven he won’t stand up to Starmer – he’ll rubber-stamp anything his Westminster bosses tell him to.”