Scottish Labour

7th September 2017

There is growing demand for the roll-out of Universal Credit to be halted across the UK.

Today, Interim Labour leader Alex Rowley will lead a debate in the Scottish Parliament supporting calls for the roll-out to be halted.

Alex called for the roll-out of Universal Credit to be halted earlier in the summer.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley has demanded that Tory plans to roll-out Universal Credit are halted…. https://t.co/YeAVx2JTbH

— Edinburgh Central (@CentralCLP) July 31, 2017

Charities and individuals across civic Scotland have also united to call on the rollout to be halted.

Today Scotland’s third sector has come together to call for a halt to the roll out of Universal Credit https://t.co/RpugkG742m #HaltandFixUC pic.twitter.com/BcRVyuBdz3

— Citizens Advice Scot (@CitAdviceScot) August 31, 2017

Universal Credit, which will replace six existing benefits, is supposed to make access to social security payments less complicated. It has been rolled out in parts of Scotland and is due to be introduced in full across the country by the end of 2018 – starting this October. But there are particular concerns about the six-week waiting period for payments at the start of the process.

Since Universal Credit was introduced, Citizens Advice Scotland evidence in initial roll-out areas shows:

• A 15 per cent rise in rent arrears issues compared to a national decrease of 2 per cent.
• An 87 per cent increase in Crisis Grant issues compared to a national increase of 9 per cent.
• Two of five bureaux in impacted areas have seen a 40 per cent and a 70 per cent increase in advice about access to food banks advice, compared to a national increase of 3 per cent.

Read more about our plans for a fairer Social Security system here.
 

7th September 2017

There is growing demand for the roll out of Universal Credit to be halted across the UK.

Today, Interim Labour leader Alex Rowley will lead a debate in the Scottish Parliament supporting calls for the roll out to be halted.

Alex called for the roll out of Universal Credit to be halted earlier in the summer.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley has demanded that Tory plans to roll-out Universal Credit are halted…. https://t.co/YeAVx2JTbH

— Edinburgh Central (@CentralCLP) July 31, 2017

Charities and individuals across civic Scotland have also united to call on the rollout to be halted.

Today Scotland’s third sector has come together to call for a halt to the roll out of Universal Credit https://t.co/RpugkG742m #HaltandFixUC pic.twitter.com/BcRVyuBdz3

— Citizens Advice Scot (@CitAdviceScot) August 31, 2017

Universal Credit, which will replace six existing benefits, is supposed to make access to social security payments less complicated. It has been rolled out in parts of Scotland and is due to be introduced in full across the country by the end of 2018 – starting this October. But there are particular concerns about the six-week waiting period for payments at the start of the process.

Since Universal Credit was introduced, Citizens Advice Scotland evidence in initial roll-out areas shows:

• A 15 per cent rise in rent arrears issues compared to a national decrease of 2 per cent.
• An 87 per cent increase in Crisis Grant issues compared to a national increase of 9 per cent.
• Two of five bureaux in impacted areas have seen a 40 per cent and a 70 per cent increase in advice about access to food banks advice, compared to a national increase of 3 per cent.

Read more about our plans for a fairer Social Security system here.
 

Shadow Scottish Secretary, Lesley Laird, has written to David Mundell with three demands over the Joint-Ministerial Committee.

In the letter, which was sent on 1st September, Laird outlines three demands:

•      That a JMC is convened within the next three weeks i.e. by the end of week commencing 22nd September.

•      That the Secretary of State agrees to regular reporting and publishing of matters relevant to the JMC from the Brexit negotiations as they pertain to Scotland and other devolved nations.

•      That the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Lesley Laird, attends the JMC meetings to ensure that opposition parties have input into the process

The full text of the letter is below:

The Rt Hon David Mundell MP

Scotland Office
Dover House
London
SW1A 2AU                                                                                                                      1 September 2017





Dear David

I am writing to express my concerns around the Conservative Government’s handling of the Brexit process and in particular, the lack of opportunity for devolved administrations to contribute to the UK Government’s negotiating position.

The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) on Europe met four times between October 2016 and February 2017.  However, since the collapse of the NI Assembly, the JMC has not met.  This means that by the time Parliament returns next week, the JMC will not have met in around seven months.

Given that Article 50 was triggered in March, and the first round of negotiations began in June, this lack of engagement and dialogue is unacceptable and is failing the people of Scotland as well as those from other parts of the UK.  By failing to call meetings of the JMC your Government is failing to deal with these critical matters in an open and transparent way and is excluding Scotland and other devolved administrations from having their voice heard and inputting into the Brexit process via the JMC. 

This is a situation that does not best serve our democratic process nor indeed does it meet the spirit of the intent to establish the JMC in the first place.

My understanding is that the position of the Government is that while there is no devolved legislator in Northern Ireland, the JMC cannot be convened as Northern Ireland cannot be represented.  While I see the logic, I can’t support a situation that has resulted in the other devolved administrations being unable have their voices heard in an official capacity.

I am also concerned at your apparent lack of involvement in the JMC and would ask that you press the Prime Minister to allow you to be present at any meeting concerning Scotland.

In order to try and restore some kind of level of credibility to the JMC I would urge you to take forward the following actions.

1.     Ensure that a JMC is convened within the next three weeks i.e. by the end of week commencing 22 September.

2.     That you agree to a regular reporting and publishing of matters relevant to the JMC from the Brexit negotiations as they pertain to Scotland and other devolved nations.

3.     Allow me the opportunity to attend the JMC to ensure that Scottish Labour have input into this process.

The clock is ticking on the Brexit process it is imperative that you act now to establish a credible way in which the JMC can operate effectively and ensure the voices of the devolved nations are heard.

I look forward to hearing from you on these issues.

Yours sincerely

Lesley Laird MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland 

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5th September 2017 

10 Labour policies that ‘inspired’ the SNP Programme for Government…

1. A soft opt-out Organ Donation Bill has been a Labour Member’s Bill in this and the previous sitting of the Scottish Parliament. Last year SNP MSPs voted against an opt-out Bill brought forward by Anne McTaggart.
2. Free access to sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities is part of a Member’s Bill from Monica Lennon.
3. An end to rough sleeping was in Labour’s 2017 manifesto, and it was the last Labour led Scottish government that passed world leading legislation aimed at ending homelessness in 2003.
4. Labour has attempted multiple Member’s Bills to reregulate buses in Scotland.
5. Labour proposed a publicly owned People’s ScotRail in our 2016 manifesto – a step further than the SNP’s commitment to a public sector bid.
6. A Pupil equity fund is Labour’s Fair Start Fund – first proposed in 2015.
7. Labour proposed a Scottish Investment Bank in our 2017 manifesto- with £20 billion of lending power behind it.
8. Labour supported the Frank’s Law campaign in our 2017 manifesto –but would have gone further and scrapped charges regardless of age, and not just for those with prescribed conditions.
9. Labour councillors already started work on exploring a basic income in Glasgow, Fife and North Ayrshire.
10. Scrapping the public sector pay cap was a Labour manifesto pledge – and one the SNP voted against in the spring.

…and five that didn’t…

1. No commitment to using the tax powers to end austerity
2. No plan to use the powers of the parliament to increase Child Benefit.
3. No pledge to ban fracking.
4. No plan to scrap the unfair Council Tax.
5. No commitment to drop a second referendum on independence.