For immediate release:

SHANKS ACCUSED OF TURNING BACK ON LOCAL FAMILIES

Rutherglen’s Labour MP has been criticised for voting against an amendment at Westminster calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.

The policy limits state benefits – namely Universal Credit and child tax credits – to two children per family and was introduced by George Osborne as part of his welfare cuts and austerity programme.

The SNP group at Westminster tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech which called for the cap’s removal, but it was defeated in the House of Commons last week (July 23).

Rutherglen MP Michael Shanks was one of 363 to vote against the removal of the two-child cap.

The Labour MP has been criticised by local SNP MSP Clare Haughey who said the Labour policy will “push local families into poverty”.

Mr Shanks has also been blasted by his Rutherglen Labour colleague, Cllr Martin Lennon, who said the MP had “lied” during the by-election campaign – mere months ago – when he repeatedly claimed he would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap if he won.

New figures published by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found 1.6 million children are impacted by the Labour government’s two-child benefit cap – with families losing up to £3,455 a year per child.

The charity found 300,000 children would be lifted out of poverty, and a further 700,000 would be in less deep poverty, if the two-child cap was abolished.

In June, the Institute for Fiscal Studies published its own analysis warning the two-child limit will affect 670,000 additional children by the end of this parliament unless it is scrapped.

Figures published last year found that 1,620 children in Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency are affected by the policy.

Commenting, Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey said:

“It was bad enough that removing the two-child benefit cap was absent from the King’s Speech, but for Sir Keir Starmer to then whip his MPs to vote against an amendment calling for the policy to be scrapped, shows just how hollow Labour’s promises of ‘change’ really were.

“The two child-cap may have been introduced by the Tories, but make no mistake, Labour now owns this policy.

“Every child poverty charity in Scotland and beyond recognises that the cap penalises children and keeps them rooted in poverty.

“Indeed, Michael Shanks previously described the cap as being ‘heinous’ and said he’d vote for its removal. Yet, when the opportunity arose, he backed out and fell in line behind Sir Keir Starmer.

“At a time when SNP Scottish Government policies are lifting an estimated 100,000 children out of poverty through measures like the Scottish Child Payment, it is staggering that Michael Shanks is supporting a policy which is pushing local families into poverty.

“Scottish Labour MPs need to stop serving Starmer and start serving Scotland.”
 

ENDS