2 days ago
'We saw Labour winter fuel U-turn on social media', SNP minister says
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday morning, Shirley-Anne Somerville said the lack of communication from the Labour administration in London was 'no way for the governments to work together'.
It came after Chancellor Reeves confirmed on Monday that the Winter Fuel Payment, which she cut back soon after taking power, would be largely reinstated, with payments of £200-£300 to every pensioner household with an annual income below £35,000.
READ MORE: SNP urge Rachel Reeves to abandon disability cuts after winter fuel U-turn
Asked about the U-turn, Somerville said it was a 'mistake to try and take money away from pensioners in the first place'.
She went on: 'The U-turn is welcome, but I think it points to a rather shambolic way to make policy, which does have implications on the Scottish Government because we're in a system where we are inextricably linked to spending decisions, policy decisions from Westminster.
'It's very difficult to try and run a devolved social security system when you're actually finding out some of the details on social media before you can actually find out the details from the Government.
'Now, that's no way for the governments to work together, and I'm deeply disappointed – welcoming the U-turn – but deeply disappointed in the way that the UK Government have handled this once again with the Scottish Government.'
Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire) Since the U-turn from Reeves, Labour have been pushing for the SNP to 'triple' the Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland, which is set at a baseline of £100.
However, Somerville said that people on pension credit in Scotland would already get payments similar to south of the Border. She said that people who are not on pension credit would get £100, people on pension credit and under 80 would get £203, and people on pension credit and over 80 would get £305.
Asked if the SNP might up the payments due to the extra funding which is set to come from Labour's U-turn, Somerville said: 'We are still waiting for the confirmation of whether there's any funding implications from the Chancellor's announcement yesterday, with no details of how that scheme will work.'
'We have no idea what the implications will be,' she added.
Somerville further said she hoped the Chancellor would use her Spending Review on Wednesday to also reverse £5bn cuts to disability benefits and to end the two-child cap on benefits.
READ MORE: What does the Winter Fuel Payment U-turn mean for Scottish pensioners?
'I hope that the Labour Chancellor will do that,' she said. 'That's the right thing to do. She has the opportunity again tomorrow, and I hope she doesn't turn her back on it once again.'
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, also appearing on BBC Scotland on Tuesday, said the UK Government would 'never' consult devolved governments on devolved policy.
Asked if cutting the Winter Fuel Payment after taking power had been a 'mistake', Murray said: 'No, it was the right thing to do at the time.'
He insisted that the U-turn is only possible because the UK's economy is improving – an assertion which has been questioned by experts.
Pushed on why the Labour Government had not informed the SNP administration of its policy plans or their implications, Murray dodged the question.
Scottish Secretary Ian MurrayAsked again, he said: 'How much extra the Scottish Government are going to get? Well, of course it would be Barnett Consequentials on that, which will be calculated in the usual way at the usual time when the policy is finalised.'
Murray was then pushed again on whether 'Social Justice Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville is correct when she says that they're trying to to develop policy here, but they never know what's happening at a London level'.
The Scottish Secretary said: 'Well, hold on a second, we never consult the Scottish Government on policy that is devolved.
'And if we did consult the Scottish Government on policy that was devolved to be screaming blue murder at the fact that we're encroaching on the devolution settlement.
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'This is a devolved payment. There's lots of social security that is devolved in Scotland … the Scottish Government had through the Budget last year received … a £50bn settlement, the largest in devolution's history.
'It's up to the Scottish government under devolution to decide how they spend that. We've got one in six Scots on the NHS waiting lists, so they're not spending on the NHS.
'We've got an increasing educational attainment gaps, so they're not spending it on education.
'So Scottish voters were very right to ask where the money is being spent and why is it not being spent on their priorities.'
