WHEN I was a teenager around 14 years old, my Mum told me that I could get a car one day. I nipped her head that much that she said 'ok, you can get one but you will buy it yourself.' Of course I was only young and she was just saying that to shut me up. I didn't see the error of my ways until I grew up. The point is, I felt like I was given the 'power' to buy a car. I had the go ahead from my Mum. Unfortunately, that's all I had. I didn't have anywhere near the amount of money I needed in order to actually buy one.

This has similar attributes to the UK Government and the Scottish Government. David Mundell and Ruth Davidson, shouting from the rooftops to any unionist that'll listen, telling them that The SNP hold the power to make a change. 'If they don't like austerity, do something about it.' They'd say. What a horrible way to look at things. What a disgusting mantra to broadcast.

If I were a member of a party that had made drastic changes in the worst possible way, then the last thing I'd do is blame another party for not standing up to my party. It shows a lack of respect to the Scottish People.

The Scottish Government have been handed some taxation levy. 10p either way on income tax at the basic rate. It's not much but I'm proud that the SNP have taxed higher earners over £43,001 at the 40% tax rate which will put extra funding to education while the UK's 40% tax is for earners of £45,001 to £150,000. Basically the SNP have asked the people earning more to help out the people that need help the most. I respect them for doing that.

Richard Murphy, an expert on tax has always favoured Scotland being an independent country as he knows the capabilities it has to sustain a healthy tax system. He described the current Scottish tax system as playing a round of golf. You need a full set of clubs to play different shots. The Scottish Government have been handed 3 or 4 clubs. Not enough to play a full round but enough to make the occasional putt.

The Scottish Government have been handed the power to do a few things now under the Scotland Act 2016. Yet not much has been done with these powers. The Tories have made mass austerity a priority in the UK over the past 3 or 4 years and are hitting the most vulnerable parts of the UK, hard! The SNP aim to challenge this head on before having a go at taxes with an almost unusable system.

The SNP led Government, who have shown time and time again that they wear their hearts on their sleeve, have chosen to cover for the financial loses that the Tories have imposed.

Let's take a look at what the Scottish Government have had to pay for to mitigate the Tory, austerity blitz.

Disability benefits, carer's allowance and winter fuel allowance will all be protected under the SNP. The bedroom tax has had full mitigation from Tory cuts. Between 650,000 and 700,000 households will benefit from SNP reforms to Universal Credit. Over half a million vulnerable households in Scotland, including 190,000 pensioners and over 80,000 single parents have been protected from UK Government cuts to council tax benefits. SNP have raised the rate of Carer's allowance to match that of job seekers allowance, giving carer's £600 more each year.

Over 230,000 low income households in crisis have been helped to buy essential such as nappies, food and cookers through the Scottish Welfare Fund.

When the UK Government plan to axe housing benefit to all 18-21 year olds. The Scottish Government couldn't sit back and watch that ruin lives. They are prepared to restore this benefit in Scotland.

These are just a few of the restoration and mitigations against the UK Governments hard line attack against low income, disabled and vulnerable people of our society.

With all of this going on, to presume that the Scottish Government have the power to create a new benefit for WASPI women or stop the 2 child cap and the rape clause would be uneducated in all it's forms.

The Scottish Government do have the powers to make changes but they keep making other changes that you and I don't see because they make it a smooth transition. Tories will cut you down to the bare bone but the SNP won't let it happen.

How long can this go on for? Will there be an end?

With the constant covering the bill that the Tories are cutting up, the SNP are then targeted for not funding other crucial areas.

The money is not there but the SNP have done a fantastic job at alleviating the cuts to help us here in Scotland live a fairer, better life. If it wasn't for them, we'd all be relying on foodbanks.

So the next time you're having a debate with people saying that the SNP can make changes, you can tell them that they already have and will continue to do so, however it's not as easy as it seems.