SHAME SHAME SHAME
Judge rules Tory welfare cap is illegal and causes misery to those in need Despite that humiliating criticism, they’re thinking about appealing Million children face being pushed into poverty by inhumane policies
On Thursday the High Court ruled that the Tory welfare cap is unlawful and illegally discriminates against lone parents with young children.
The damning verdict proves once and for all what so many of us have been arguing for years – that the draconian welfare cap is ideologically driven and serves no purpose other than to harm.
Mr Justice Collins clearly stated that “real misery is being caused to no good purpose”. In spite of this conclusion being reached after a thorough, evidencebased examination of the cap, it looks as though the Tories are – quite unbelievably – going to appeal this decision.
They have been caught red-handed, harming lone parents and young children.
The least they could do is accept the verdict, apologise for the hurt caused and put an end to the relentless regime of cuts and chaos.
Appealing the decision of the court only serves to further highlight the UK Government’s incompetence and comes at further expense to the public purse.
We know lone parents are more likely to live in poverty and are overwhelmingly women. We know too that women have been disproportionately harmed by austerity that directly impacts on their children, and that a million more children are expected to be pushed into poverty.
Given that this is known, it begs the question – why are Tories knowingly targeting vulnerable groups?
With losses for families under the Universal Credit rollout, the abhorrent rape clause, and cuts for the sick and the disabled, it’s clear the Tories have abandoned their rhetoric to help those “just about managing” in favour of their austerity obsession.
In an attempt to sanitise the damage the Tories are inflicting onn households all across the UK,K, this weakened minority Governmentt have determined to label their cuts to the most vulnerable in society as welfare reforms.
The relentless less programme of austerity continues too target the very people that we – as democratically atically elected representatives ves – should protect tect and assist. The Tories wouldd do well to heed the result of the election and accept they have non mandate for their callouscallo cuts. In his speech at MansionMan House, Chancellor PhiPhilip Hammond stated that people are “weary” of hhis party’s austerity. Far frfrom weary, my SNP colleagcolleagues and I are furious. We are furiofurious that our callscal to scrap inhumaneinhu cuts have simply beenbe ignored. The UK now faces the bigbiggest levels of ineqinequality sincsince the Thatcher years. The High Court verdict is clear, and after a botched snap election, the Tories have lost their mandate.
The welfare cap places the burden of the UK Government’s failed economic strategy on the shoulders of the most disadvantaged in society.
The futile determination of the UK Government to cut their way to growth has only fuelled the SNP’s determination to end these cuts and inject the investment necessary to genuinely rebalance the economy. We call on the Tories to scrap their welfare cap and to do it now. The political dynamics have drastically changed since May’s snap election.
The new reality at Westminster gives us a chance to work across party divides on a range of issues.
Ian Blackford, our new group leader, made clear in his response to the Queen’s Speech that where there are opportunities to deliver progressive policies, we would seek to do so.
Ruth Davidson’s Tories in Scotland have tried hard to distance themselves from their party in Westminster.
But, as demonstrated by their unjustifiable stance on the rape clause, they cannot hide their callousness.
They must halt this counterproductive agenda of austerity immediately, listen to the voices of those being impacted by it, listen to the voices of experts, and stimulate the economy with the investment necessary to allow for opportunity, fairness and prosperity to flourish.