By Liz S
BBC Website – Douglas Fraser wrote that “If there is a cut in the budget for PIPs, a proportionate figure will be cut from the Treasury block grant to Holyrood”.
He then writes “So Scottish ministers would have the choice of applying a similar scale of cuts, or of finding funds from other spending, or from higher income tax, to fill that gap”
So would that then mean they are ‘spoilt for choice’ to “fill that gap” Mr Fraser ?
“A gap” that has been caused by the UK government .
The BBC article on their website regarding Benefit cuts has a headline that asks?
“What does UK benefits overhaul mean for Scotland”?
“overhaul” ?
Is that really what is happening then , as in it is merely an “overhaul”, surely it is really more of an attack (another one) on the poorest and most vulnerable within the UK ?
The article also stated that “Liz Kendall’s deputy Sir Stephen Timms, said he is “sad” that speculation about the reforms is causing anxiety among people who rely on these benefits”.
“Sad”….. “that speculation about the reforms (?) are causing anxiety among people who rely upon these benefits” ??
I see.
So how will he, Sir Stephen Timms, feel when the cuts, which he calls “reforms” but are actually “cuts”, are no longer something that are just “speculated” upon and instead become a reality for those “people who rely upon these benefits” ?
As surely even he recognises that this “anxiety” only exists because his boss , Liz Kendall, has announced that she intends to make cuts to the Welfare system and that in her opinion some people on benefits are “taking the mickey”.
Mind you her boss, who like Stephen Timms is also a Sir, as in Sir Keir Starmer, he stated that in his opinion being on benefits for some people was a “lifestyle choice”.
So I would say that everyone within the UK who were decent people , who had real empathy and so were compassionate people for those others who were less fortunate than them, were now, as decent people, very very very “sad”, oh and also very very very angry too, that in this UK there still existed a draconian, heartless and ruthless Tory government in power, that are Tories in all but party name, who choose to punish those who are less fortunate while still allowing those who are far more fortunate to flourish and prosper.
A lot of the media have been (falsely ?) promoting that some of the Labour cabinet ministers are against some of these Benefits cuts, which is surprising, as they seemed as Labour Cabinet ministers, less concerned with , as in less against, the two child cap being retained , the Universal WFP being cut for pensioners and WASPI women being betrayed.
So who are these particular Labour Cabinet ministers who are supposdley in revolt against some of these proposed cuts ?
Name them, as it will not shame them , as surely it will do the opposite ?
I suspect this is only being promoted as such in order to possibly give Labour a way out, in order for them to do yet another U-turn .
Then they think, in saying some ministers oppose some of these cuts, if a U-turn is made on this, they assume this will then help Sir Keir Starmer save face.
As it will then be promoted by that same media that he, Starmer, has listened to the concerns of some Labour Cabinet ministers.
If , that is, a U-turn is indeed done on any of these specific Benefit cuts.
Too late as his, Starmer’s, Goose is well and truly cooked, that is, cooked with the many voters who were fooled into voting for his party last year.
Who all now know , as voters, that if you vote Labour in any election then you will always get Tory, irrespective of who wins , as in whether it is the actual Tory party or the wannabee new Tory party aka the Labour party who wins.
(Today one of the Labour Cabinet members, Pat McFadden said that “the cabinet is “definitely united” behind UK Labour’s benefit cuts plan but he also failed to rule out cabinet resignations over it” which is , as a statement, a typical confusing and conflicting statement from the incompetence of a member of this truly terrible Labour UK government).
So they are “definitely United” but he, McFadden, also does not rule out some may resign ?
Or alternatively they may be somehow talked round, and so Labour , via them as possible opposers of this cruel action , are then given undeserved credit as a government in that some cabinet ministers have a heart and a conscience, because that too is also a possible option and outcome Mr McFadden, No ?
The article by Douglas Fraser also states that the choice ahead in Scotland is that for “Scottish ministers and MSPs they must decide how much of Liz Kendall’s reforms and Rachel Reeves’ cuts they are going to apply, adapt, mitigate or somehow seek to avoid”.
So the (Hobson’s) choice is yet again the only option for the Scottish government in that they either apply similar cuts, adapt them somehow, or mitigate (the rob Peter to pay Paul strategy favoured by all of the British Nationalist parties at Holyrood) or somehow attempt to avoid them?
Avoid them ???
However how can one avoid what will be a reality in that “The Fraser of Allander economists have ran some numbers on what the speculation on benefit cuts might mean for Scotland”.
Which they say would be “a one-year freeze on the payments the year after next, starting in April 2026, that would mean a cut in the Scottish budget by £94m in that year, rising to £122m three years later”.
So is this then another classic example of Scotland not being “Better Together” with the rest of the UK and instead being very very very much worse (off) with being “Together” with the rest of the UK !
Welcome to the UK where the Poor must pay for the Rich as the Rich pay for the kind of UK government that they want (and get), which is one that will ensure that they, the Rich, will not have to pay their fair share in the UK, as the Poor must yet again pay a disproportionate amount so that the Rich do not have to.
(Also where Scotland must suffer yet again for another bad UK government decision and then only the Scottish government will, as a result of this bad UK government decision, be blamed for failing to “apply, adapt or mitigate” these UK cuts).
Then of course we will also see Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie both be on deflection manoeuvres online, via Twitter , but they will also both be actively disruptive inside the parliament chamber at Holyrood as well.
Where they will be operational in their defence of their Labour UK party, in them choosing to place all of their criticism and blame upon (aka scapegoating) only the SNP and the Scottish government for basically what is this, that and the next thing (aka anything and everything).
While simultaneously both Sarwar and Baillie will be also be supporting this, that and the next thing that their own Labour UK party do as the UK government, that as actions, always negatively impacts Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.
Cue the BBC to promote their Labour branch office propaganda message , which will be done by the BBC online, on BBC GMS and also on BBC Reporting Scotland ( and too in the BBC’s latest addition to their propaganda outfit, that is the podcast called “Scotcast”, as the BBC assume that with them , every little (and big) bit helps (as in helps only the British Nationalists political parties in Scotland).
Vote SNP in 2026 as a first step to making it all eventually stop for Scotland.
Liz S
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Anas Sarwar has already pointed out that these cuts are not austerity, Labour can’t afford jam for tomorrow so it is taking action today so that it can promise honey for the day after tomorrow.
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Yet tomorrow never dies, innocent civilians do…
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Labour had already stated long before any Commons statement that they wanted to ‘save’ £5billion to £6billion from Welfare . So , they had a ”Review” of Welfare knowing what their target for savings was . How can that be a fair review ?
Regardless of the rhetoric about cuts in order to target those ”who need it the most ”, this was and is simply an indefensible attack on the poorest and most vulnerable in society .
Sarwar and Damn Jaikie Baillie can splutter and stutter excuses all day long but they are as culpable as Starmer and his Cabinet .
Labour RED is the New Tory BLUE !
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Labour are worse than Tories.
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“Sarwar and Damn Jaikie Baillie can splutter and stutter excuses all day long but they are as culpable as Starmer and his Cabinet “
Indeed , and come nearer to the 2026 Scottish elections they will both still “splutter and stutter” with even more lies than usual , in them saying that ‘if we vote for Labour then they , if elected as the new Scottish government, will apparently take a “New Direction”.
From whom and from what ?
Labour UK ?
Labour UK, who as a UK party, are the exact same party as Labour here in Scotland, but they like to pretend that they are somehow distinct from Labour HQ/UK .
Is that why Sarwar never stands up to Keir Starmer at Labour HQ, but instead he, Sarwar, is often heard to make excuses for Starmer and also Sarwar agrees with most of the cruel policies his party aka the new Labour UK government are making.
So if they , Labour based in Scotland , as part of their 2026 Scottish election campaign , pledge to reverse much of what Labour UK have done both in and also to Scotland, then what say those voters elsewhere in the UK who are also governed by Labour UK ?
( BTW Labour Scotland, is in location only, as Labour in Scotland fight for Labour UK, support Labour UK and so they are, as a party, also a part of Labour UK)
Mind you with ‘New Direction’ promises and pledges we all know by now that these are not Anas Sarwar’s strongest points, indeed based on the recent Labour scandal, betrayal and fiasco in Grangemouth, one could argue that the weakest part of Labour’s election campaigns is that part where they make ‘Promises and Pledges’.
Indeed with Labour their ‘promises and pledges’ are not worth the paper they are written on, a bit like the 2014 Vow , oh and also Gordon Brown’s assurance that Scotland would be “as close to federalism as we can be if we, Scotland , voted No in the 2014 Independence referendum”……
Now look at WM, via various political parties as the various UK governments, who are all desperate to take back control of Scotland in them grabbing back powers from the Scottish parliament post their UK (very English) Brexit.
Mind you Gordon Brown at the time was not even an active politician, he was referred to as a “statesman” as in one who works for the UK state only (Ha Ha) , but some lunatic assumed that he had gravitas and so also had influence with people in Scotland, I doubt that, however post the 2014 Referendum and more so now in 2025, I am more assured that is definitely not the case.
#FoolMeFarFarMoreThanOnceThenContinuedShameOnYou
StillKeepFoolingMeTimeAndTimeAgainThenShameOnMe
(The above is a new adapted version by me of that well known saying , that some in Scotland , have as yet, been unable to realise is something that is their weakness as voters when they still vote for Labour in Scotland).
Personally if anyone is still considering voting Labour in Scotland in any subsequent elections , either at an election within Scotland or as part of the UK , then one has to assume that they , as voters , are those who prefer to see Scotland always losing out.
As in losing out in the majority of the money, the powers and the control in these being stolen by all various UK governments , so that all of the majority of the money, the powers and the control can then be transferred from our parliament and government in Scotland to another parliament’s government in another country elsewhere within the UK. (WM in England).
Vote SNP in 2026 as a first step to make it all stop.
Liz S
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All part of EngUKGovs’ plan to cull the disabled, and they are making sure the poorer young people are combat ready re forced conscription by making paid employment a privelege and impossible to achieve for most, the poor anyway we won’t see the rich kids sent to fight fight fight…the ones in private schools near us all dress up as soldiers in combat gear, they won’t be sent to real ‘war’ for the rich though!
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Saw this online via a Blue Sky account
“Kaye Adams is the latest BBC Scotland presenter to deliberately mislead the public by conflating the Dundee University scandal with free tuition. The Dundee University funding issue was caused by financial mismanagement. It has nothing to do with free tuition. More BBC propaganda”
Strangely enough I also heard this via the new additional BBC propaganda programme, which is now a part of the BBC in Scotland , as in the podcast called Scotcast,.
As they were also debating this yesterday prompted by the Dundee University funding issue, but with no mention of the new Labour Dame Wendy Alexander and her role , up to late 2024, as the Vice President there at Dundee University.
Martin Geissler used an analogy of “parents of a child getting out the cheque book, to pay school fees for their child to attend, say , Fettes College in Edinburgh, in paying thousands for their education. Then come the time they go to University the Scottish government say ‘put away your cheque book we’ve got this”.
So his point was that free tuition fees was unfair as a Universal benefit for all children in Scotland, as in only offer this to some on a means tested basis ?
No that was not his point, as his point was that Scotland should follow England and Wales and apply tuition fees for all.
#SNPBAD
Of course another analogy Martin (intentionally) forgot to also mention was one where the not so wealthy parents of a child, who as a child , attends a state school in Scotland, and where the child is very bright and ambitious so they want to attend University.
However if tuition fees for a University in Scotland were in line with those of England & Wales , then the decision for that young person who attends a Scottish state school is one where he or she has to then decide , do they want to take on so much debt, in order to be able to pay these extortionate tuition fees ?
Plus of course all of the other expenses , food, housing and general living expenses that are incurred with attending University, especially if your University is in another city from you and your parents home, that then requires you to get a student loan as you will be more or less needing be self sufficient, or do they just decide, as young people, to give up their dream of getting a University education and so also give up having the career that they want to pursue as adults.
Universities are only, it seems, to be for Rich children who attend fee paying schools and not for the ordinary ones who attend state schools, that’s down to extortionate tuition fees aka student debt.
BBC always on the wrong side presenting (spinning) the wrong opinion and lies.
British broadcasting within Scotland exists to stop us all promoting the right side’s right opinions and truths, so that they , the BBC, can always do the opposite.
Vote SNP in 2026, that would P off the BBC and their undeserved licence fee !
Liz S
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What level of fees would Dundee have needed to have avoided the present deficit?
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Well not sure about fee levels John ??
But for students thank God they have free tuition in Scotland or many would not be able to attend Uni….#StudentDebt
But………..
It was reported that “Wendy Alexander as Vice Principal had a big pay rise in 2022 from Dundee University, which the Unions apparently criticised, where her salary was increased to £170,000 pa.”
She was also criticised in 2022 by local paper ,The Courier, where they stated “she had claimed £12,000 in expenses over recent years from Dundee University”.
David Clegg, Big fan of Labour party, tweeted this in 2022, as Editor of The Courier:
“Dundee Uni now paying former Scots Labour leader Wendy Alexander more than Nicola Sturgeon’s salary as First Minister. Trade unions not impressed. Outrage as ex-Labour leader Wendy Alexander’s Dundee University salary rises to £170k”.
In November 2024 it was also revealed that “financial statements from the last academic year reveal she earned between £190,000 and £199, 000 which means she received a pay rise of at least £20,000 since 2022″…..and she, Alexander, was only the Vice Principal !
It does then make you wonder why did she resign in late 2024, especially if she was making this kind of very high salary ?
Did she jump before the proverbial you know what hit the fan ?
Oh , she did , as that was when the news came out in respect to the funding deficit.
No (financial or moral) worries for Wendy though as Labour UK provided her with a safety net , in Sir Keir Starmer awarding her a lifetime peerage in the December 2024 political peerage list, so that she could then receive money for old rope, all bestowed by the mugs known as UK taxpayers .
Political honours list ?
For Wendy Alexander ?
She was last in politics, Scottish politics that is, in 2011, and part of her contribution to politics in Scotland involved a donation scandal where she then resigned as Labour leader in Scotland. Sheesh.
Now she will just be yet another Labour peer , who like the other Labour peers in the HOL’s, would be always ready and always willing to talk down Scotland and also talk down those that we, as voters in Scotland, choose to democratically elect to govern us here at Holyrood.
When it comes to Scotland , we always notice that within the HOL’s , how easy it is for Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems to unite as one against Scotland and against our Scottish government.
The corrupt media in Scotland , mainly the BBC, are using the Dundee University funding crisis as an excuse to target the SNP and free tuition fees while omitting to highlight this big sponger ‘Wendy who obviously likes to spendy’ with her inflated salary.
Plus she was only the ‘Vice’ principal and not the actual Principal, who also resigned. (guess there was no peerage for him as that might look as if it was a reward for FAILURE).
Wendy Alexander who abandoned ship before it began to sink, so that she could float off into the HOL’s as a Dame…..more like a damn expensive waste of time for Dundee University to pay her so much as a salary and then declare a funding deficit!
The Courier reported in November 2024 that:
“Dundee University has been engulfed in crisis since a £30 million funding deficit and potential job losses were revealed last November. The alarming headline was swiftly followed by Principal Iain Gillespie’s sudden resignation”.
That’s November 2024 this funding deficit was revealed !
Of course I am sure her brother , Douglas Alexander, now a Labour MP since the 2024 GE, would have had no input into his sister’s elevation into the HOl’s…..he will probably join her at some point in the future, as that is where all useless and self serving Labour MP’s (YES men) end up eventually.
BTW it has been reported that “Dundee University principal Shane O’Neill will face questions in parliament” this week, so will others also, like his Vice-Principal.
Vote SNP in 2026 as a first step to making cr*p like this all eventually stop.
Liz S
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The uuniversity would need about £1,500 for each of their 20,000 students to clear the present shortfall of £30,000,000 apparently built up in quite a short time.
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An immediate thought came to mind, “What are the rules on “Recall Petitions.” Can we recall every Labour MP who lied to gain election?
Stupid as there are no rules regarding lying in manifestos or in any political statement.
So we come to the reality. What can the Scottish Government do?
During the 24 election, many of those who voted Labour did so as “they were no better off under the SNP.” Mitigating Welfare Cuts prevented those seeing their lives had been helped.
So should the Scottish Government, stand up and say, “With our budget cuts from the Colonial Power we can no longer mitigate these Welfare Cuts so we will have to revert to the English rates as they refuse to tax the uber wealthy.”
This will show people how the Scottish Government had improved their lives and perhaps they won’t be so gullible to listen to the Unionist Establishment party. Pity they won’t be able to afford to watch the Propaganda channels.
To prevent that action, I would actually present a better way forward. One that puts Independence at the forefront of Peoples’ minds by actually showing what could be achieved by playing within the present Devolved Rules.
It needs a backbone and a plan of attack not only in Holyrood but outside, utilising those many receiving Westminster pensions and others to continue to spread the word, while attacking the Scotland Bad Lies.
The Finance Secretary or an orator who is able to present it passionately, with vigour and complete transparency.
Part 1: The Treasury could have raised a Wealth Tax on assets over £50 million which at 3% would have raised £24 billion, but rather than touch the wealthy they chose, like the other cheek of the arse they belong with, along with the little lipoma known as the Lib/Dems, they failed to do so. Using stereotypes rather than facts, hiding their true costs of these Welfare Cuts.
Part 2: With the cuts to our Scottish Government we can longer mitigate these cuts so if we do nothing, the poorest in our Society, once the subject of a Labour Party who aimed to reduce if not eradicate poverty. So many who graced that party will be spinning in their graves. Those who gave us the Welfare State, the NHS they are looking to Privatise.
We therefore propose that we enact an Energy Export Tax of 5% on all Electricity which leaves Scotland. As we produce almost none via using Gas, this cost will have no impact on the Retail Price elsewhere on this island. At the present rate of export over our needs to import, this will raise £14.5 billion a year and grow as we expand production.
This sum will enable us to reform our Welfare System eradicating poverty, Invest in our Health and Education Services and the Infrastructure of our country.
They have used Security of Supply as part of their message for their increase in Defence Spending. In keeping with that we shall Nationalise Refining at Grangemouth as we require the facilities to secure our own supplies from our own resources. It will be integral as we transition to Hydrogen using our abundant electricity.
In future all Renewable contracts will include a provision that 50% of the value of the contract, at least must be spent in Scotland. Not on a plague and tax evaded but on actual proper work. We’ve heard about this bonanza but we need to ensure Scotland benefits not other countries from Scotland’s resources.
We will bring forward proposals on Zonal Pricing so they those who have suffered from the expansion of the windfarms have the lowest rates not the highest.
Part 3: Flood Social media and other channels to get the message through about how Scotland is being ripped off and how we can succeed. 2026 election will have one message, “A vote for this party is a Vote for Independence.” No referendum needed.
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The BBC funded £6Billion to pump out lyimg propaganda on behalf of the UK Gov.
Brexit costing £Billions. There would be no need to cut any welfare. The lie that it is always increasing. The baby boomers need ‘benefits’ because the old age pension is so low. An increase in the elderly. The welfare bill will go down. It is a blip. The false exaggeration. Lies from the UK Gov.
Scotland loses £Billions from Westminster poor administration and debt.
How can there be so many disabled people getting welfare. There are 4.4%. Unemployment. Low. Even lower in Scotland. 1 in 20 people are on the spectrum and need help to get into work. They can be anxious and worried. They do not like noise, bright lights or breaks in a routine. They need looked after not left to starve. Their families pay a lot in taxes so they should get support. The wealthy should pay more. They might pay more in Scotland.
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Saw this tweet from account Johnny Dundee:
“The UK Labour Party allows Labour MP Brian Leishman his *coughs* completely unplanned attacks on his own party as he’s harmless, & it gives the impression there are some in Labour in Scotland who care. Pure theatre. Don’t fall for it. We know what happens when Scots fall for it”
In another tweet Johnny Dundee states:
“Labour MP Brian Leishman: ‘I’m one of the good guys’ How many times are voters going to be taken in with his ‘I’m not like the other Labour guys’ act”?
This, I think, is 100% correct.
In the 2024 Labour GE campaign, Brian Leishman stood shoulder to shoulder with Anas Sarwar and slated the SNP’s supposed ‘lack of action for Scotland’, in fact in one tweet prior to the 2024 GE, Brian Leishman stated, while pictured with Anas Sarwar:
“The SNP have done nothing. Only voting @ScottishLabour on 4th July can save the jobs at Grangemouth Refinery”.
Now he knows that this is a lie.
Did he , Leishman, really believe it was true back then, that is the answer we may never know.
Did Labour even hoodwink Leishman, if so, how come he is still a Labour member and a Labour politician ?
As in Labour UK, that includes Labour in Scotland, did not save jobs at Grangemouth Refinery. Instead they, including Sarwar, betrayed Grangemouth Refinery workers and they also betrayed Scotland.
However so did Brian Leishman as he too told the same lies to voters in his 2024 election campaign.
In Leishman also stating “The SNP have done nothing” well that is also a lie, as the SNP have done far far more for Scotland than his Labour party has ever done and ever will (not) do.
Leishman has been making many derogatory and critical comments against his own party, Labour, some of these comments were not that long after he was elected last year as the Labour MP for Alloa & Grangemouth.
Yet still he is a Labour MP representing, checks bloody notes, the Labour Party at WM.
So how come he is still a Labour politician, if he truly realises that he and the people of Grangemouth, who he represents as a Labour MP, have been duped (conned) by his party then why not defect to another party or become an independent MP at WM.
I am sure his constituents would understand his reason for doing so, indeed they would probably continue to support him as that would then be the principled thing to do, especially under the circumstances, instead of him carping from the Labour sidelines against his own party , while still remaining in the party as a Labour MP ??
One also wonders why Labour, as a party, have been so tolerant of his outbursts against them while other Labour MP’s within the Labour party have been suspended, and in some cases , Labour has even thrown them out of the party.
So I agree with Johnny Dundee that this ‘act’ is now wearing very very thin, as in this rebel act of Brian Leishman, time he put his proverbial money where his mouth was and left the Labour party, a party he obviously no longer respects or believes in, if , that is, his criticism of them is genuine.
Indeed his latest tweets are all critical, of what he calls austerity measures, which Anas Sarwar is denying is the case with Labour, but in Leishman mentioning austerity he obviously recognises that this is what Labour are adopting.
Brian tweeted yesterday “The UK needs to get away from the race to the bottom of cuts and austerity. There is plenty money out there, the problem is who has it. Today’s announcement of £5 billion worth of cuts to welfare is wrong”.
“The UK” ?
Does he mean his Labour party also “needs to get away from the race to the bottom of cuts and austerity”. If so why not say it !
Sorry but no sincere and honest person could be feeling so publicly let down by a political party they were a member of and then still want to represent them as a MP.
Will Leishman be helping Labour canvass in Scotland for the 2026 elections in his constituency ?
That would be a political act of self harm for the Labour party, so I suspect that will not be the case, in fact Labour may not canvass that much or indeed too hard in Leishman’s constituency as they will consider it a lost cause, for obvious reasons.
One hopes that Leishman’s constituents are not taken in by him while he still remains a Labour politician, as what other choice did he have post the 2024 GE, than to criticise his own party when they and he pledged that “”only Labour” would “save” jobs at Grangemouth Refinery if Labour were elected as the new Labour UK government.
Then the opposite happened.
Vote SNP in 2026 as a first step to stopping these things happening and also to stop people like Leishman & Sarwar from continuing to do this to Scotland, and their party also , as well as stopping other UK political parties from harming Scotland too.
Liz S
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As we all know BBC Scotland are very adept at turning a potentially damaging UK Government announcement into an equally bad SNP news item. Yesterday much was made of the rising Welfare bill reaching an ‘unsustainable’ £100bn by 2030 as if that is some mitigation for these cuts to the poorest in society but it is worth noting that the Welfare bills in Germany, France and Italy are higher where clearly they have a more sympathetic view of supporting those in need.
Typically of course the BBC in an interview with the Pensions secretary did not question the claim she made that this was partly due to the effects of Covid as if no other country had been similarly infected.
Shameless and disgusting attempts to shield Labour from criticism.
Robbo
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