BARONESS Davidson has been accused of “utter hypocrisy” after she set out her opposition to the Tory government’s planned £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit.
During her time as Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson defended the so-called rape clause – a system introduced by the UK Government offering an exemption to the two-child limit on tax credits if the women receiving them can prove a third child was conceived as a result of rape.
Women applying for the clause must fill out an eight-page form and supply evidence about their rape to the Department of Work and Pensions.
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In 2017, Davidson came under fire for downplaying the seriousness of the system after telling Scotland Tonight: “All [women] have got to do is tick a box and put their name on it.”
Davidson has also defended the UK Government’s Bedroom Tax, failing to show opposition to the proposal to cut housing benefit payments by up to 24% for those in council or housing association homes deemed to be “under-occupied”.
Despite supporting these strict welfare changes, Davidson claimed to be opposed to the Tory government’s £20-a-week Universal Credit cut – the biggest overnight cut to benefits in modern history.
Ministers have defended slashing the benefit, despite it being expected to push 800,000 people into poverty at the same time as energy prices rise and furlough ends, saying tax rises would be necessary in order to keep it going.
Speaking to Robert Peston on his ITV show last night, Davidson said: “I have heard all the lines that are being trotted out by the Treasury in the UK Government … I don’t think any of it washes. Personally, I think it’s the wrong thing to do, I think it’s the wrong thing to do for people on low incomes.
“I also think it’s bad politics because we’re taking the hit now on this but we’ll also take the hit when we eventually put Universal Credit back up another £20 because, as you see, inflation is back, and we will see a rise in that benefit.”
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She added: “To be honest with you, I don’t agree with it, I didn’t vote for it. I know there’s plenty of people within the Tory party that are deeply uncomfortable with it. It’s one of those ones where I hope the Treasury could think again.
“This is causing an awful lot of worry to an awful lot of people who don’t have a lot of leeway in their finances.”
Responding to the Baroness’s comments, SNP MSP and convener of the social security committee Neil Gray (below) said Davidson had exposed her “utter hypocrisy”.
“She acknowledges the damage and hardship this cut will cause but she will still seek at every turn to defend the Westminster system that imposes such policies on Scotland,” he commented.
“Her comment that this is ‘bad politics’ may be true, but it betrays the fact her concern, as ever, is about propping up Tory support and not with the communities affected.
“But the fact that even the most senior Tory politicians are speaking out against the cut to Universal Credit shows just how devastating taking away £20 a week from the most vulnerable will be.”
He added that the Universal Credit cut demonstrates again how Scots can’t afford “another decade of Tory austerity”.
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