Findlay branded ‘Grinch’ by SNP after baby box comments

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has been accused of acting “in the spirit of the Grinch” after suggesting schemes such as the baby box should be “looked at”.

SNP MSP Evelyn Tweed insisted that “Christmas is a time for family, for gift-giving,” as she added: “For the Tories to seek to remove the baby box from the 46,000 babies expected to be born in Scotland next year is not in the spirit of the season – it is in the spirit of the Grinch.”

The Grinch, the main character in the classic Dr Seuss children’s book How The Grinch Stole Christmas, famously steals all the Christmas presents in a town, although the story ends with the creature realising the error of his ways and returning the gifts.

The baby box has been given to families since August 2017, with the Scottish Government saying each box contains about £420 worth of essential items.

In a speech in October, shortly after taking over as Scottish Conservative leader, Mr Findlay suggested the initiative, along with measures such as the provision of free prescriptions, “are needing to be looked at”.

But Ms Tweed said: “The birth of a child is an expensive and precarious time for anyone, and the baby box goes some way in addressing those worries – ensuring that all babies, no matter their background, have the best start in life.”

With Mr Findlay also calling on the Scottish Government to cut taxes, the SNP MSP added: “The bottom line is, to give the wealthiest in Scotland a tax cut, the Tories are prepared to deny babies a better start in life by removing the baby box, and that is unacceptable.

“The SNP will always stand up for Scotland’s young families and for our newborn Scots – and that means fighting to protect the baby box scheme from Tory cuts.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “Under Russell Findlay’s leadership, we’re committed to delivering fairness and value for Scottish taxpayers.

“The cosy left-wing consensus at Holyrood has allowed tens of millions to be spent on baby boxes, without ever producing hard evidence of their effectiveness.

“Taxpayers want an end to the culture of chasing cheap headlines and are demanding public services to be delivered more effectively and efficiently. It is only the Scottish Conservatives who are committed to doing that and speaking common sense for a change.”