The SNP has challenged Sir Keir Starmer to reverse Labour Party cuts to pensioners and low income households – ahead of its conference in Liverpool.
As the Labour Party plummets in the polls, new analysis shows Liverpool is a microcosm of the damage that Labour government cuts are inflicting on families across the UK.
The analysis, conducted by the SNP using UK government data, shows that in Liverpool city region around 229,086 pensioners – eight in ten (83%) – stand to lose up to £600 a year in Winter Fuel Payments as a result of the Labour government’s cuts.
In Scotland, around 860,000 pensioners will be hit and across the UK the total is around 10 million.
The data also shows the damaging impact of the Labour government’s political choice to continue imposing welfare cuts, including the two child benefit cap and the bedroom tax.
In Liverpool city region 122,198 children – four in ten – are living in poverty.
Across the UK, 4.3 million children are living in poverty.
Labour’s austerity policies, including the two child benefit cap and bedroom tax, are pushing thousands of children into poverty.
In Liverpool city region, the analysis shows 12,100 households are being hit by the two child benefit cap – around two thirds (62%) of all households in receipt of Universal Credit.
In Scotland, 26,000 households are being hit and across the UK it’s nearly half a million (440,000).
At the same time, Labour’s Bedroom Tax is cutting the incomes of 20,567Â of the poorest households in Liverpool.
In Scotland, around 100,000 (99,937)Â households are being hit and across the UK it’s more than half a million (507,119).Â
While the SNP government is mitigating the impact of the Bedroom Tax on household incomes in Scotland, doing so comes at a cost of around £70million a year, which could be spent elsewhere if the punitive policy was abolished by the Labour government.
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 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 Economy spokesperson Dave Doogan MP said:
“As Sir Keir Starmer struts into Liverpool this weekend, flashing his designer freebies, he should take a look around at the misery and poverty that the Labour Party’s austerity cuts are causing families across the city, which is a microcosm of the damage being done across the UK.
“The Labour Party promised voters they would end austerity cuts but instead they’ve broken their word, taken the winter fuel payment away from millions of pensioners, pushed thousands of children into poverty, and slashed billions of pounds from public services.
“This isn’t the change we were promised.
“It’s no wonder the Labour government is plummeting in the polls, when Sir Keir is lining his own pockets with more than £100,000 of luxury freebies – while imposing austerity cuts on the rest of us.
“As ever with Westminster, it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else – austerity for thee but not for me.
“After fourteen long years of the Tories, people want to see an end to cuts – not more misery imposed by an out of touch Labour government.
“I urge Sir Keir to U-turn on Labour’s cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, end the two child benefit cap and bedroom tax, and deliver real investment for our NHS and public services.”
