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 … Continue reading Disability benefit cuts – Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie will soon be on deflection manoeuvres

By Professor John Robertson OBA The first thing I check for in any full poll is the extent to which the initial sample has been adjusted to reflect the make-up of the electorate in the 2021 Holyrood Election (not required) and they 2014 Referendum (good, they have not). In the light of the latter non-adjustment which many feel has distorted previous poll results against the SNP, we can, for the first time, reasonably trust these results. Their own headline – Public critical of Scottish Government’s record but aren’t convinced that Labour would do a better job – is surprising given … Continue reading Major balanced poll – Information-starved public critical of Scottish Government’s record but are sure Labour would not do a better job

In Ayrshire Live on 24th July 2024: New Labour MPs vote to keep two-child benefit cap despite branding it ‘cruel’ previously During the election campaign Kilmarnock and Loudoun’s new MP previously called the two-child benefit cap “cruel”. All four of Ayrshire’s new Labour MPs have voted with the UK Government to keep the two-child benefit cap. Central Ayrshire MP Alan Gemmell, Kilmarnock and Loudoun MP Lillian Jones, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP Elaine Stewart and North Ayrshire and Arran MP Irene Campbell all backed Prime Minister Keir Starmer. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/new-labour-mps-vote-keep-33314784 Today in the Guardian: Labour restores whip to three more MPs who opposed two-child benefit cap – Labour has restored … Continue reading Ayrshire Labour MPs could easily have voted against ‘plunging a rising number of children into poverty’ with no long term harm to their ‘careers’ or salaries but were too afraid to do so

By stewartb The British Labour Party’s leader in the Holyrood parliament, Anas Sarwar MSP is quoted in a Holyrood magazine article from February 14, 2024 entitled: ‘Labour unveils new ‘blueprint for economic growth’. It was a fairly typical ‘blame the Scottish Government’ piece useful for illustration. ‘Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused the SNP-Green government of “failing” businesses and “choking off opportunity and hurting families and companies in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and a cost-of-doing-business crisis”. (my emphasis) And: ‘The Labour Party argues that the SNP has failed to grow the economy over its 17 years in government ..’ It’s worth recalling … Continue reading British Labour Party leaders find ways to excuse their track record in government by reference to external factors when they don’t have the SNP to blame