Swinney ‘troubled’ by reports of imminent welfare cuts
The First Minister said such a move could endanger his drive to eradicate child poverty.
Scotland’s First Minister has said he is “troubled” by reports there could be a benefits cut announced by the Chancellor within weeks.
Rachel Reeves is due to give a statement on March 26, responding to the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Cutting the cost of welfare and further savings elsewhere in Whitehall are expected to be on the agenda.
Speaking to the PA news agency on Wednesday, First Minster John Swinney urged a rethink, saying any cuts would hurt his ambition to eradicate child poverty and the UK needed to have an “honest debate” about taxation.
“I’m troubled by the reports that are coming out of the UK Government about reductions in welfare spending, because I think that will inevitably add to the challenges that are faced by individuals facing vulnerability in our society,” the First Minister said.
“My top priority is to eradicate child poverty and I can’t imagine that will be helped if the UK Government is reducing welfare spending into the bargain.”
He added: “We’ve got to have in the United Kingdom an honest debate about public expenditure and taxation.
“I tried to have that during the election campaign, where I pointed out the pressures on the public finances and on our public services, and I have to say neither the Labour or Conservative Party were particularly interested in having that honest debate during the election campaign.
“But if we want to have a society that’s got good public services, that supports people who face difficulty and a society that can protect itself in the difficult international times that we face just now, we’ve got to have an honest debate about taxation.”
His comments come as UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended potential cuts to welfare spending.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “There is a moral case here for making sure that people who can work are able to work and there’s a practical point here as well, because our current situation is unsustainable.”
