Sarwar rejects claims UK Government welfare reforms amount to austerity

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has hit back at claims that UK Government welfare changes will amount to austerity.

He insisted Sir Keir Starmer’s government had to act to deal with the “broken approach” to social security payments left by the Tories and to “put our finances on a sustainable footing”.

But Mr Sarwar stressed that overall spending on welfare – both in Scotland and throughout the UK – would still increase, despite the changes being announced later on Tuesday.

Austerity means when public spending is going down. Even with these changes that are being announced, welfare spending is projected to go up across the UK and go up in Scotland

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to outline plans to get
more people back to work and cut the cost of the rising benefits bill.

It is thought that not all the changes announced will apply in Scotland – with any reforms to the personal independence payment (Pip) not applying here as the Scottish Government has replaced that benefit with the Adult Disability Payment.

However, cuts to the welfare bill could affect the amount of money the Scottish Government receives from Westminster for benefits – with this potentially taking place at a time when the Scottish Fiscal Commission has forecast that overall spending on social security north of the border is to rise from £4.2 billion in 2022-23 to £8.0 billion in 2028-29.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has already urged the UK Government to “think again” about expected welfare cuts that he fears could “punish” the most vulnerable in society.

But Mr Sarwar hit back at accusations that the reforms were another form of austerity, telling journalists that overall public spending is rising under Labour.

Speaking out on the issue during a visit to the Babcock manufacturing yard in Rosyth, Ms Sarwar said: “I have heard shouts of austerity from many an SNP politician, I think actually they need to look in the dictionary.

“Austerity means when public spending is going down.

“Even with these changes that are being announced, welfare spending is projected to go up across the UK and go up in Scotland.

“That is not austerity, it is the very opposite of austerity.”

However, noting that welfare spending across the UK is projected to rise from its current total of “around £50 billion a year” to £70 billion “over the course of the next few years”, the Scottish Labour leader stressed the need to act.

That “exponential rise” in the welfare bill “means you are taking money away from other vital public services”, Mr Sarwar said, as he stressed the need to get the social security budget “on a more sustainable footing”.

Promising that the changes would prioritise helping people into work he said: “Labour is the party of work and there are far too many people, too many young people, not getting the opportunities they need across our country.

“That is why there is going to be reforms to welfare. There is going to be prioritising work and making sure at the same time that those who need support get support.”

He pledged the system would continue to provide a “safety net” for the “most vulnerable” so they can “get the support they need”.

But he suggested increasing NHS waiting lists could be contributing to the problem, with Mr Sarwar claiming: “There are more and more people going on to some of these benefits because they are unable to work because they are waiting so long on our NHS.

“That in itself demonstrates a broken system.”

His comments came after Kirsty Blackman, the SNP’s work and pensions spokeswoman at Westminster, urged the UK Government not to go ahead with any welfare cuts.

She said: “Voters were promised that there would be no austerity cuts but the Labour Party has slashed the winter fuel payment, cut international aid, blocked compensation for Waspi women – and now it is threatening to take an axe to disability benefits and public services too.”

Meanwhile, Mr Swinney said on Monday that he did “not think that the right thing to do is to punish those who face vulnerability in our society by the type of cuts that have been talked about by the UK Government.”

Mr Sarwar, however, said that rival politicians should “wait for the details” of the reforms “rather than go for the easy political attack”.