ANAS Sarwar has remained silent after his MPs voted to keep the two-child benefit – despite calls for him to speak out.
The Scottish Labour leader faces questions over his “leadership” of his MPs in light of previous commitments he made that Scottish Labour MPs would “push” to scrap the cap.
In a vote forced by the SNP on Tuesday night, no Scottish Labour MP voted to scrap the cap.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has written to Sarwar in a bid to revive allegations the Scottish Labour is a “branch office” of the UK party.
Past senior Labour figures including Johann Lamont and Jeremy Corbyn have spoken publicly about how the party north of the Border is directed by head office, despite claims they have autonomy.
In his letter to Sarwar, Flynn (above) asked the MSP whether he had instructed MPs on which way to vote and was quizzed about a promise made during the election that Scottish Labour MPs would not always toe the party line in a Keir Starmer government.
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He also faced questions about whether he thought Starmer was right to suspend seven rebel MPs, none Scottish, who voted with the SNP to end the two-child cap.
Flynn wrote: “Given your own previous promises on scrapping the two-child cap, serious and significant questions are now being directed at your leadership of this Scottish Labour MP group.”
He added that scrapping the cap, which Save the Children have called “the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty”, was the “bare minimum” Labour could have done.
Flynn added: “Tackling and eradicating child poverty is something that should unite us all in politics. That’s exactly why the SNP sought and received cross party support across Westminster to begin this new parliamentary term with a vote that would have scrapped a policy that is pushing children into poverty.
“We know that scrapping the cap is the bare minimum we should expect but it would have represented a good start.
“That cross-party consensus is why it is so disturbing that not a single Scottish Labour MP joined us to vote against the two-child cap last night. It is therefore right and reasonable that urgent answers are now provided on Scottish Labour’s position.”
Greens MSP Maggie Chapman (above) said Tuesday night’s vote, which saw the vast majority of Labour MP’s vote against an SNP amendment to the King’s Speech calling for an end to the two-child benefit, was “an utter disgrace”.
Chapman said that Scottish Labour had campaigned to “stand up for Scotland” but had instead “voted to keep a cruel and punishing Tory policy that they know is wrong”.
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She added: “It is an utterly shameful start to their time in Westminster. There is absolutely no justification for a cap that is designed to punish and humiliate vulnerable people and every one of those Labour MPs knows it. We don't need to wait for a review to tell us that, and nor do the people who are suffering because of it.
“Anas Sarwar must show leadership by condemning the vote and doing everything he can to ensure that this brutal cap is removed as soon as possible.”
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: “Scottish Labour MPs voted for a transformative King’s Speech that will deliver a New Deal for Working People that will tackle exploitative employment practices and low pay, deliver action to bring down bills and establish a child poverty taskforce.
“Scottish Labour MPs want to see the two-child cap lifted when the financial situation allows – but we will not make promises that we cannot keep to the people of Scotland.
“With child poverty having risen in Scotland due to SNP incompetence and Tory misrule, this Labour government is acting to put money into the pockets of working Scots and to bring down bills for all.”
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