Hannah Bardell

This Conservative Government at Westminster is starved of compassion and is relentlessly pursuing deeper cuts to benefits and harder austerity policies.

In stark contrast, the SNP Government in Scotland are mitigating the worst of these Conservative cuts, ensuring no one pays the bedroom tax and has set up a Scottish Welfare fund providing over £120m to vulnerable people across Scotland.

Conservative Government welfare cuts and benefit sanctions are pushing people into food poverty and have increased the demand and reliance on emergency food provision and food banks. This is completely unacceptable.

Tragically, so many constituents who come to my office for help have been sanctioned unfairly by this pernicious Conservative Government and are either in work or have chronic illnesses, or disabilities. Be in no doubt, the Conservatives are targeting some of the weakest and poorest in our communities.

I have personally raised a number of cases in the House of Commons in the last 2 years because I have been so appalled by the treatment of my constituents. My team and I have won those cases and been able to ensure our constituents do not go hungry or without the basics. I have visited and supported our local foodbanks, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that they have become a part of everyday life.

If re-elected I will continue to fight the corner of those in poverty, only the SNP can provide that strong opposition to Conservative cuts that are so damaging to our communities.