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| Former Labour MSP Neil Findlay quits party over welfare cuts | Former Labour MSP Neil Findlay quits party over welfare cuts |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Neil Findlay, who ran for the Scottish Labour leadership in 2014, says he is quitting the party for the sake of his own sanity | Neil Findlay, who ran for the Scottish Labour leadership in 2014, says he is quitting the party for the sake of his own sanity |
| Former Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay has quit the party over the UK government's plan to cut £5bn a year from the welfare budget. | Former Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay has quit the party over the UK government's plan to cut £5bn a year from the welfare budget. |
| Sir Keir Starmer says the current social security system is "unfair to taxpayers" and lets down claimants. | Sir Keir Starmer says the current social security system is "unfair to taxpayers" and lets down claimants. |
| Mr Findlay - who was an MSP between 2010 and 2021 - said Labour was choosing to "punish and stigmatize the weak, poor and the vulnerable". | Mr Findlay - who was an MSP between 2010 and 2021 - said Labour was choosing to "punish and stigmatize the weak, poor and the vulnerable". |
| His resignation came as Scottish Labour frontbencher Carol Mochan publicly criticised the welfare cuts. | His resignation came as Scottish Labour frontbencher Carol Mochan publicly criticised the welfare cuts. |
| The party's deputy public health spokesperson called the social security reforms a "mistake". | The party's deputy public health spokesperson called the social security reforms a "mistake". |
| Mr Findlay, a left-wing trade union member who ran unsuccessfully for the Scottish Labour leadership in 2014, announced his resignation in a letter to Sir Keir. | Mr Findlay, a left-wing trade union member who ran unsuccessfully for the Scottish Labour leadership in 2014, announced his resignation in a letter to Sir Keir. |
| He said: "I can no longer remain a member of a party that lied to the British people at the last election and with regularity betrays the people who voted for it." | He said: "I can no longer remain a member of a party that lied to the British people at the last election and with regularity betrays the people who voted for it." |
| Mr Findlay cited the UK government cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners, the decision over compensation for Waspi women, the two-child benefits cap and handling of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. | Mr Findlay cited the UK government cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners, the decision over compensation for Waspi women, the two-child benefits cap and handling of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. |
| He wrote: "All of this to fund increased spending on the UK's war machine - weapons that will be used to kill and injure innocent men, women and children in far off lands." | He wrote: "All of this to fund increased spending on the UK's war machine - weapons that will be used to kill and injure innocent men, women and children in far off lands." |
| The former MSP also cited senior members of the Labour government, including the prime minster, accepting freebies from wealthy donors. | The former MSP also cited senior members of the Labour government, including the prime minster, accepting freebies from wealthy donors. |
| Mr Findlay wrote: "Tell me who is really milking the system? Of course it's one rule for you and another rule for the poor, the sick and disabled." | Mr Findlay wrote: "Tell me who is really milking the system? Of course it's one rule for you and another rule for the poor, the sick and disabled." |
| He predicted Labour "will be lucky to come third" in next year's Scottish election, would lose power in Wales for the first time and "faces being routed" at the next UK general election. | He predicted Labour "will be lucky to come third" in next year's Scottish election, would lose power in Wales for the first time and "faces being routed" at the next UK general election. |
| "This will be down to your disastrous tenure as leader," Mr Findlay told the prime minister. | |
| He added: "In solidarity with the individuals and families who will be affected by these vindictive and brutal policies and for my own sanity, dignity and self respect I can no longer remain a member of the Labour Party." | He added: "In solidarity with the individuals and families who will be affected by these vindictive and brutal policies and for my own sanity, dignity and self respect I can no longer remain a member of the Labour Party." |
| Sir Keir Starmer says the current welfare system is unfair to taxpayers | Sir Keir Starmer says the current welfare system is unfair to taxpayers |
| Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said the UK government is right to reform the welfare system but added any changes must be "fair". | Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said the UK government is right to reform the welfare system but added any changes must be "fair". |
| He also denied that Labour ministers were imposing austerity. | He also denied that Labour ministers were imposing austerity. |
| Mochan, a member of his Holyrood leadership team, appeared to contradict him when responding to the UK government's announcement. | Mochan, a member of his Holyrood leadership team, appeared to contradict him when responding to the UK government's announcement. |
| She posted on X: "Austerity has never been a sustainable path to growth. We cannot balance the books on the backs of people who require benefits just to have a passable standard of living. | She posted on X: "Austerity has never been a sustainable path to growth. We cannot balance the books on the backs of people who require benefits just to have a passable standard of living. |
| "These reforms are a mistake and should not go ahead." | "These reforms are a mistake and should not go ahead." |
| Questioned if Mochan should be sacked by the leadership, UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said he would not be "drawn on what individuals are going to do in the Scottish Parliament". | |
| He added that the welfare reforms would protect the most vulnerable people in society while making the social security system "sustainable for the long term". | |
| Benefits cuts | Benefits cuts |
| Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the government's proposed welfare reforms would save £5bn a year from 2030. | Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the government's proposed welfare reforms would save £5bn a year from 2030. |
| She announced on Tuesday that ministers would tighten the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from November 2026 and freeze incapacity benefits under Universal Credit, with payments for new claimants to be reduced. | She announced on Tuesday that ministers would tighten the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from November 2026 and freeze incapacity benefits under Universal Credit, with payments for new claimants to be reduced. |
| Although the benefit is being phased out in Scotland and replaced by the devolved Adult Disability Payment, any reduction on spending on PIP will have a knock-on effect on the Scottish government's budget. | Although the benefit is being phased out in Scotland and replaced by the devolved Adult Disability Payment, any reduction on spending on PIP will have a knock-on effect on the Scottish government's budget. |
| The Fraser of Allander Institute, which is an economic research unit at the University of Strathclyde, forecasts that for every £1bn cut from spending on PIP, the Scottish government would lose between £90m and £115m in Treasury funding. | The Fraser of Allander Institute, which is an economic research unit at the University of Strathclyde, forecasts that for every £1bn cut from spending on PIP, the Scottish government would lose between £90m and £115m in Treasury funding. |
| The UK government cuts come with extra investment in employability services in the hope of bringing more people back into the workforce. | The UK government cuts come with extra investment in employability services in the hope of bringing more people back into the workforce. |
| Sir Keir said the social security system was "actively incentivising" people away from work and represented an "affront to the values of our country". | Sir Keir said the social security system was "actively incentivising" people away from work and represented an "affront to the values of our country". |
| "This is not just unfair to taxpayers, it is also a bad long-term outcome for many of those people," he said. | "This is not just unfair to taxpayers, it is also a bad long-term outcome for many of those people," he said. |
| A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "Mr Findlay is a private citizen, he is entitled to his views." | A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "Mr Findlay is a private citizen, he is entitled to his views." |