The SNP has said the Labour Party “is failing to deliver the change it promised voters in Scotland” at the UK general election – ahead of it’s conference today.
As polls show support for the Labour Party in Scotland is plummeting, Stephen Flynn said Sir Keir Starmer had shown he is “completely out of touch with people in Scotland” by taking the winter fuel payment from around 860,000 Scottish pensioners, keeping the two child benefit cap that is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty, and imposing billions of pounds of austerity cuts to public services.
The SNP Westminster Leader said Sir Keir had shown “shockingly bad judgement” by taking more than £100,000 of freebies while “imposing austerity cuts on the rest of us”.
On Wednesday, a poll by Survation found a majority of Scots (56%) do not think the Labour government is “acting in the best interests of Scotland” – while just 15% do.
The poll also found a majority (51%) of Scots oppose Labour’s cuts to winter fuel payments, and almost half of Labour voters in Scotland (44%) think Keir Starmer’s government has “failed to meet expectations”.
The poll, conducted between 10th and 13th September, also found that the Labour Party’s lead in Scotland has collapsed.
It showed the SNP and Labour Party neck-and-neck in Westminster voting intention at 31% each, with Labour falling nine points since the last poll.
A separate poll by Opinium for the Sunday Times, conducted on 11th September, had the SNP seven points ahead of Labour at 32% to 25% in Westminster voting intention.
Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP said:
“The Labour Party has only been in office for three months but it is already plummeting in the polls as a result of breaking so many promises to voters.
“Sir Keir Starmer has shown he is completely out of touch with people in Scotland by imposing billions of pounds of austerity cuts on pensioners, low income families and public services, while milking the system for all its worth to get £100,000 of designer clothes and freebies for himself.
“It’s shockingly bad judgement and shows the Labour government is continuing the worst excesses of Tory cuts, sleaze and cronyism while failing to deliver the change it promised voters in Scotland.
“Governments are defined by the choices they make.
“The Labour Party’s political choice to cut the winter fuel payment for 860,000 Scottish pensioners, push thousands of Scottish children into poverty with the two child benefit cap, and to continue Tory cuts to public services stains its reputation and shows its election promises were worthless.
“The SNP wants to work with Labour to deliver the step change people in Scotland deserve.
“That means an end to austerity and real investment to improve our NHS, boost household incomes, deliver affordable homes, and build a strong economy that works for ordinary families.
“The time for warm words is over and patience is fast running out.
“People in Scotland want to see real change now.”
