Latest news with #UK-level
The National
6 days ago
- General
- The National
John Swinney in final message to voters ahead of Hamilton by-election
The First Minister urged people to vote for the SNP "to stop [Nigel] Farage", as he warned of the "concerning rise" of the Reform UK leader. Both Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar are expected to visit the constituency on Wednesday, for the final day of campaigning before the polls open. READ MORE: Nigel Farage's Scottish conspiracy theories fit Reform's agenda. Don't fall for it It comes after the Reform UK leader's visit to the constituency on Monday, where he hid from the public and the press after protesters tracked down where he was due to speak to the media. Swinney said on Wednesday: 'Tomorrow, the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have an opportunity to chart a different course for Scotland. 'This campaign has made it crystal clear that the SNP is the only party listening to people and taking action on what matters to them; from bringing back the Winter Fuel Payment to investing record sums in our NHS." Swinney (above) said that the Labour Party "has lost its way" as he continued: "Keir Starmer's abject failure to deliver on his promises has led to the concerning rise of Nigel Farage across the UK – something that will worry many across Scotland. 'Farage does not care about Scotland, and he also poses a threat to many of the things that we hold dear: our NHS, our parliament and transformative policies like free tuition. 'This by-election is an opportunity to reject the politics of Farage and make sure Scotland's interests are front and centre, and only a vote for the SNP will do that." READ MORE: The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, explained The SNP leader added: 'On Thursday, vote Katy Loudon – for an MSP that is on your side and to stop Nigel Farage.' Loudon, the SNP's by-election candidate, said local communities have been "let down" by Labour, while the "extreme language" of Reform UK has served only as a distraction. She said: 'The Labour-run council cut school bus provision from 8000 pupils and at UK-level they took away the Winter Fuel Payment from 36,000 South Lanarkshire pensioners. 'And now Farage has appeared, churning out extreme language in the hopes that people won't see it for what it is – a distraction. 'The people of this community deserve better. They deserve an MSP who is always on their side. 'That is what I hope to be. I will always stand up for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and against those who are letting down Scotland.' Meanwhile, Scottish Labour, which has put forward Davy Russell as their candidate, said that Reform UK were a "convenient distraction" for the SNP as they insisted that Thursday's by-election is "a direct fight between Scottish Labour and the SNP". READ MORE: Scottish Labour by-election candidate flounders after dodging question 11 times The party's deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, said that Thursday's poll gives voters 'the chance to put this incompetent SNP Government on notice and chart a new direction for the whole of Scotland'. She stated: 'The SNP's woeful record is plain to see here – chaos in local NHS services, high streets in decline, and a generation of young people let down. 'The SNP Government has failed this community and Katy Loudon has made it clear she will toe the party line no matter what – but Davy Russell will be a tireless champion for the community he calls home.' The by-election on June 5 is being held following the death of MSP and SNP Government minister Christina McKelvie. The polls will open at 7am on Thursday and will close at 10pm.
The National
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Scots opposed to independence less trusting after Operation Branchform
Experts at an independent academic polling team, Scottish Election Study, surveyed how a scandal could affect public trust in Scottish institutions when people are reminded of it. The study was designed to compare the perceptions of one group who was given an explanation of the SNP scandal from BBC reporting and the other half was not. It was found that the scandal most affected the perceptions of people who hold unionist views. The SNP's support dropped during the long-running police investigation into its finances, that has now closed. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon – who had been arrested by police during the Operation Branchform probe – has been cleared of any wrongdoing while her former partner Peter Murrell has been charged with embezzlement. Jac Larner, of Cardiff University, presented his findings at a Stevenson lecture at Glasgow University, and said: ''Campervangate treatment' made respondents less trusting of Scottish government ministers and civil servants. 'This effect is not consistent among all citizens: for people who support independence we observe no significant changes. Instead, the effect is driven by strong reactions by those who oppose independence.' The study also found the public has lower levels of trust in UK institutions and representatives than Scottish ones. 'The Scottish government and Holyrood are generally more trusted than pretty much any UK-level institution. This has been the case for some time, pretty much right back to the foundation of devolution,' Larner explained. READ MORE: Why Labour's care visa reforms just won't work for Scotland He added: 'If you think of yourself as a supporter of the SNP, you trust the Scottish government far, far, far more than the UK government.' Larner and his team also surveyed the public on parties held in Downing Street during the Covid-19 emergency for which Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were fined. Partygate, Larner said, 'made respondents less likely to trust UK ministers and civil servants to behave ethically in their jobs'. He said: 'The treatment made respondents more likely to trust MSPs and Scottish government ministers. We have clear evidence of constitutionally motivated reasoning but in an unexpected direction: negative effects for UK actors were substantially bigger among unionists.'
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
STUC: Two-child benefit cap ‘will cause explosion' in poverty
At the moment, the two-child benefit cap prevents parents across the UK from claiming universal credit for more than two children except in some limited circumstances. The Scottish Government has said they will mitigate this policy by 2026, however, the Scottish Fiscal Commission has said this will come with a £155 million price tag in 2026-27 before rising to £198 million in 2029-30. Asked by The Herald if she could pin-point specific policies she believes are making life harder for working class people in Scotland, Ms Foyer said: 'The two child cap on benefits is something that is of deep regret. That was brought in by the Tory government. "I would have expected that to be lifted by an incoming Labour Government and I think that's really quite shocking that we've not seen that happen and that will cause an explosion in child poverty because it needs to be urgently lifted.' Despite rumours the cap could be lifted, recent reports suggest it will remain in place even when the UK Government announces their child poverty strategy in June. This month, one Labour source told The Guardian: 'If they still think we're going to scrap the cap then they're listening to the wrong people. We're simply not going to find a way to do that. The cap is popular with key voters, who see it as a matter of fairness.' READ MORE: This comes despite the Child Poverty Action Group estimating the number of children in poverty across the UK would increase from 4.5 million to 4.8m by 2029 unless urgent action is taken. Asked if this is a barrier to the Scottish Government meeting their own targets on child poverty, Ms Foyer said : "Yes, I think it is. Ultimately, the Scottish Government have the ability to mitigate it but they also need the budget to mitigate it. "Partly, that relies on the UK Government upping their spending on things like welfare, public spending to get the money coming through to the Scottish budget. But the Scottish Government also has a responsibility, they according to our figures, could by inputting about £3.7 billion more resources into the budget through progressive taxation that they have the power to deliver." The Scottish Government has previously said they are "proud" that Scotland has "the most progressive income tax system in the UK, protecting those who earn less and asking those who earn more to contribute more." Ms Foyer also pointed to a rise in energy bills and council tax across Scotland impacting those facing poverty: 'It was ironic to see that we got a minimum wage hike from the UK Government which was welcome but it was pretty much wiped out by the council tax rises we've seen and energy bill rises we saw coming in. 'We need at a UK-level to have a serious discussion about bringing our energy into public ownership and tackling now the unaffordable energy bills that people are having to pay. It's just not appropriate that we allow the free market to set these levels. Government should be intervening and taking control of these levels." Ms Foyer also pointed to action the Scottish Government could take to help those struggling in terms of a total upheaval of the council tax system. "The Scottish Government needs to take action on our council tax. It is unaffordable, it is a regressive tax, it disproportionately impacts on low-paid working people and we need to see action taken to completely review that whole system and replace it." Responding to criticism over the two-child benefit cap, a UK Government spokesperson said: 'No child should be in poverty - that's why our Ministerial Taskforce is exploring all levers available across government to give children across the United Kingdom the best start in life. 'As we fix the foundations of the economy to make everyone better off, our Get Britain Working plan and the landmark Employment Rights Bill will help people find and maintain better paid and more secure jobs with stronger rights. "We have increased the National Living Wage and are capping how much Universal Credit can be taken for debt repayments to put more money in people's pockets and help families build a brighter future. 'Both of Scotland's governments must work together to help more people into work, while always supporting those who cannot.' The UK Government's new Fair Repayment Rate caps debt repayments made in Universal Credit and ministers say it will allow 1.2m households to keep more of their Universal Credit award.
