5 Tory policies that Ruth Davidson knows are hurting Scotland but still supports

Last year, Ruth Davidson told the people of ­Scotland that her new band of 13 Tory MPs would “forcefully” argue for Scotland’s interests in ­Westminster – but nothing could be further from the truth.

Ruth Davidson thinks that the Scottish Tories can continue to deflect and divert from their party’s record. But she’s wrong.

Here are just five policies Ruth Davidson’s knows are hurting Scotland but regardless still supports.

 

Theresa May’s job-destroying Brexit

Despite arguing the case for remaining the European Union, Ruth Davidson and her band of 13 Tory MPs are now lockstep with Theresa May’s Brexit plans that put at risk 80,000 jobs in Scotland.

Even when presented with the chance to secure a victory for Scotland’s fishing communities, Ruth Davidson showed just how little influence she and her Scottish Tory MPs have, with the UK government once again selling out our fishing communities.

 

A Tory power grab on Scotland’s powers

The UK EU Withdrawal Act has made a grab for Scotland’s powers. A power grab that could see our NHS opened up to privatisation by the UK government in order to get a trade deal with the United States – and the Scottish Parliament could have no say at all. That is completely unacceptable.

 

The two-child Tax Credit Cap and Rape Clause

It’s now been over a year since the Tories brutal and callous rape clause came into effect. Ruth Davidson has repeatedly spoken in support of the policy.

By 2021, around 50,000 families in Scotland will be worse off due to the Tory decision to limit tax credits to the first two children and the Rape Clause now requires women to prove they’ve been raped in order to qualify for child tax credits for a third child.

SNP MPs will continue to lead the fight to reverse and abolish this unacceptable policy. Read more about the two child tax credit cap and rape clause here.

 

Social security cuts that push up poverty

By the end of the decade, the Tory welfare cuts will lead to a £3.7 billion fall in social security spending by 2021 in Scotland.

As a result, four million children are living in poverty in the UK, with the Tories’ punitive benefit sanctions regime forcing families to rely on food banks.

The Trussell Trust, the largest providers of food parcels, saw the number of three-day emergency food parcels needed in Scotland increase by 14 per cent in 2016. The Trussell Trust identified the Conservative government benefits delays and changes, including sanctions, as the main reason people turned to food banks.

 

The Bedroom Tax

Ruth Davidson has called the UK government’s ideologically driven Bedroom Tax “necessary”, despite the fact it would have negatively impacted around 80,000 homes in Scotland.

The SNP government has fully mitigated the Tory Bedroom Tax, which would otherwise have disproportionately impacted low income families and the disabled, and when as soon as we have the necessary powers we will effectively abolish it.