Meeting of the Parliament 23 April 2025
I am pleased to speak in the debate, and I will direct my remarks to the Scottish Conservative amendment, in the name of Liz Smith.
The amendment correctly highlights the concerns of the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Scottish Fiscal Commission
“about the projected substantial increases in UK and Scottish welfare budgets, the resulting fiscal pressures, and the unsustainability of these budgets in the current economic circumstances”.
That is the fundamental issue before us.
Regardless of which Government proposals we are discussing or the tone of the debate—which has been conciliatory up until now—the debating vigour that is displayed in the chamber and even the verbal tongue lashings and contained heckling will not make an iota of difference to the people of Scotland. That will do nothing to stop their lives becoming harder, nothing to stop them becoming poorer and nothing to reinstall their faith in the decisions that are made by their Governments on their behalf.
In the current economic climate, there are simply insufficient funds. In January this year, the Scottish Fiscal Commission estimated that, in 2029-30, the Scottish Government would be spending £1.7 billion more than it received to pay for devolved welfare. Coupled with Labour’s welfare cuts, that has the deficit growing to £2.1 billion. It will be hard-working, middle-income taxpayers who will be made to pay. They will be squeezed yet again to support the ever-increasing welfare state, and it will be done at the expense of everything that they are trying to do to make their lives and their children’s lives better. Surely, it would be better to increase the number of taxpayers and grow the economy, rather than forcing those who are already stretched to pay more.
We have already heard comments about economic inactivity and, once again, I find myself speaking in a debate on welfare in Scotland and returning to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee report on parental employment. It is a good report, with a clear direction of travel to help parents back into employment. It highlights three specific areas that the Government could focus on that would help parents to get back into work. Not only would parents be earning a living that, statistically, would boost their disposable income and enhance their mental health, but that would add to the Government’s revenue by increasing tax take and reducing the number of those who are dependent on welfare payments.
We agree that welfare payments are an investment in our people and that the returns and benefits for society are evident, but part of that investment must be to better people’s lives in all possible ways—and one of those ways is self-sufficiency. There is a pride that comes from being self-reliant.