Theresa May has been Prime Minister for a year. Here’s some of the bad news you might have missed

by the SNP
Posted on
7 years ago
3 min read

This week marked a year since Theresa May became Prime Minister. Here’s just some of what her government has presided over.

The value of the pound has fallen and inflation has gone up – meaning a higher cost of living for everyone.

Here’s what’s happened to the pound in the past year.

 

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The Tory government has implemented their callous Rape Clause policy.  

The Tory government buried the rape clause within their plan to limit Child Tax Credits to two children in the 2015 budget. The clause requires women who have had a third child as a result of rape to prove this before they can claim Child Tax Credits.

On 6 April of this year the rape clause came into effect without any Parliamentary vote.

 

 

 

More families are resorting to food banks to feed themselves as a result of Tory welfare policy.

The latest statistics from the Trussell Trust, published in April of this year, showed that 145,865 three-day emergency food supplies were provided by the network of 52 foodbanks across Scotland in 2016/17, including 47,955 for children – a 9 per cent increase on 2015/16. The Trussell Trust cited low income as the single biggest reason for referral to Scottish foodbanks, and benefit delays and changes also key drivers.

 

 

 

The High Court ruled that the benefit cap for lone parents with children under two is unlawful, discriminatory and causes “real misery” for “no good purpose”.

The Tory benefit cap introduced last year drastically reduced benefits, leaving lone parent families across the country unable to afford basic life necessities to care for their children including paying rent to keep a home.

 

 

 

Brexit negotiations have begun and the Tories still don’t know what the impact on leaving the Single Market will be – on living standards, jobs and our economy. 

It’s been estimated that Scotland could lose up to 80,000 jobs, and wages cut by up to £2,000.

 

 

 

Instead of £350 million more for our NHS every week, Brexit is set to cost a whopping £226 million a week in extra borrowing, according to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that the UK government will have to borrow an extra £58.7bn – £226 million a week as a result of Brexit.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Theresa May May’s deal with the DUP means £1 billion of extra funding for Northern Ireland on infrastructure, health and education – yet not a penny more for Scotland.

That’s despite the fact that the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell, previously said that additional funding for Northern Ireland would mean “appropriate funding” for Scotland.

 

 

The EU Withdrawal Bill has been published. Despite all the promises from the Tories, turns out the Bill  transfers all powers to Westminster – not one to Holyrood. 

The Bill returns powers solely to Westminster and prevents the Scottish Parliament legislating in areas where powers have been returned. It also allows UK Ministers to make changes in devolved areas without any Scottish Parliament involvement.

 

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