Misery is all the British state has to offer Scotland

IT turns out it's not just the electorate who are heartily scunnered with Anas Sarwar and the amazing revolving Labour Party in Scotland. 

The party has now performed so many U-turns in short succession that it's being considered for a part as a spinning top in a Christmas movie about Santa delivering toys to all the kids trapped in poverty by the two-child benefit cap. 

It has transpired that Sarwar didn't bother to tell Labour MPs representing Scottish seats that he'd decided to execute a screeching U-turn on the Winter Fuel Payment. Today, it was reported that they only found out about it after reading it in the Daily Record. This caused a bit of upset as MPs had been whipped to vote in favour of their government's decision to axe it and had been relying on Sarwar to give them a bit of political cover. 

Sarwar had previously been an outspoken supporter of the cut, describing it as an "opportunity" for Scotland. That would be an opportunity to freeze pensioners then. The MPs are reportedly "upset", although not as upset as a frozen pensioner. 

Not keeping people informed appears to be a Labour thing. Rachel Reeves didn't bother telling the Scottish Government she was going to axe the universal benefit in England and Wales with the knock-on effect of an immediate cut of £160 million to the Scottish Budget. 

This failure to communicate is a symptom of arrogance. 

As ever with the Labour Party, the change of heart came not out of a concern for the wellbeing of pensioners, it came out of a concern for the wellbeing of the Labour Party. 

Coming on top of the decision to keep the heinous two-child cap on benefits while refusing to introduce a wealth tax, the decision to axe the Winter Fuel Payment only reinforced the perception that Starmer's Labour Party does not have the interests of the poor and vulnerable at heart, rather it looks after the wealthy donors who keep Starmer in designer suits and freebies. 

Sarwar's U-turn on the Winter Fuel Payment was an attempt to pre-empt the Scottish Government's decision to reintroduce a universal Winter Fuel Payment. The anti-independence media has helpfully continued to push the Labour line that the Scottish Government decision came as a result of pressure from the Labour Party, a shameless attempt to rewrite events. 

In fact, the Scottish Government had signalled some weeks ago that it was planning to reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment to those pensioners who had lost out. Faced with being politically left high and dry by the SNP, Labour in Scotland had no choice but to perform a humiliating U-turn. 

Yet again we have seen how much of the media in Scotland, and in particular the BBC, act as protectors and defenders of the Labour Party, the current holders of the title Saviours of the Union. 

'Misery is all the British state has to offer'

The Labour Government came into power promising to boost investment in British industry which on the face of it is a laudable goal. However, it's not ethical industries which Starmer's government has in mind, it's the defence industries, a common euphemism for “making things that kill, maim, or torture people”. 

On Monday, Defence Secretary John Healey launched the Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, with a view towards growing the UK’s defence sector. 

Speaking at a London Defence Conference event with investors in London, Healey laid out the British Government's ambition to increase defence sector jobs in "every nation and region of the UK". You too will be able to get a job making things that kill people, isn't that nice. 

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has hit out at the strategy, saying that the UK’s arms industry is “nothing to be proud of”. 

“It has done terrible damage around the world and is the last thing we should be trying to build our economy on the back of,” he told The National. 

“Its entire business model is based on arming, supporting and enabling war, repression and human rights abuses.” 

Harvie added: "UK-made weapons have boosted and empowered despots and dictatorships around the world and have played roles in the devastating Saudi-led bombing of Yemen and Israel's genocide against Gaza. 

What else do you expect from the British Government? Historically the British Government's idea of remaining neutral in a conflict is selling weapons to both sides. 

Sam Perlo-Freeman, a researcher for the Campaign Against Arms Trade, said the new strategy suggests the already “far-too-cosy relationship” between the Government and the arms industry is “likely to get even closer”. 

“The top UK arms companies already enjoy unparalleled levels of access to the top levels of government, along with huge non-competitive contracts that almost guarantee a comfortable stream of profits,” he told The National. 

“This is despite repeated failures in delivery, with multi-billion programmes regularly going over budget and behind schedule. Meanwhile, arms export decisions consistently favour the interests of industry over human lives.” 

He added: “New, much broader, thinking about security is desperately needed, focusing on the overriding challenge of the climate emergency, while looking carefully at what the UK really needs for its armed forces, rather than prestige projects that mostly serve the interests of the arms industry. 

“This will not come from a closed conversation between government and the arms industry that will only serve existing, powerful, vested interests.” 

Scotland could be leading the world in the development and construction of renewable energy technologies. Instead, we are being offered the chance of contributing to the sum total of human misery and suffering. 

Misery at home, misery abroad: It’s clear that misery is all that the British state has to offer.