THE Scotland Office should give Holyrood its reported £150 million fund earmarked for anti-poverty measures to offset the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, Stephen Flynn has said.
MPs will vote on Tuesday to strip the benefit from all but the UK’s poorest pensioners in what could be one of the toughest days for Keir Starmer so far in his tenure as Prime Minister.
The move has been criticised by trade unions and opposition parties – as well as some within Labour – with the SNP stressing the impact of the issue in Scotland.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the move in July, which she said was needed as part of measures to fill what she called a £22 billion “black hole” in the country’s finances.
The Scottish Government said last month it had been left with "no choice" but to end universal fuel payments that were due to come in north of the Border because of UK plans to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment in England and Wales.
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Ministers cited a loss of £160m of funding through the decision taken by the UK Government.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday, the SNP's Westminster leader Flynn suggested funding destined for the Scotland Office could be used to fund the benefit.
Some £150 million is reported to be available from the department for local councils to tackle poverty.
“We could, of course, see the Secretary of State for Scotland, who appears to have been awarded £150m from the Treasury, use that funding to fill the gap which is being created by his own Prime Minister of Scotland, which is going to impact pensioners in Scotland,” he said.
“I’m sure Ian Murray would be more than happy to give up the funding, which has been made available to the Scotland Office, as I understand it, which is almost entirely comparable with the winter fuel payment cut that’s coming to pensioners in Scotland.”
Speaking to the BBC later, newly-elected Labour MP Blair McDougall said his “jaw hit the ground” when he heard Flynn’s suggestion.
“What he is suggesting there is to take £150 million out of anti-poverty measures to restore the winter fuel payment to the wealthiest pensioners,” he said.
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“I perfectly understand why some people find this a very difficult vote today, but when Stephen Flynn votes with the Conservatives today, it’s clear that what he is saying is that he wants to remove £150 million from poverty measures to restore money to wealthier pensioners.”
McDougall went on to say he was “not pretending this is an easy choice”, but was necessary due to public finances being “catastrophic”.
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