Last month, LibDem MP Mike Crockart hit out at planned changes to benefit payments for people classified as under-occupying property, describing the moves as “unfair”.
A motion congratulating Mr Crockart on his stance and stating the parliament’s opposition to the UK Government’s ill-considered plans was lodged in the Scottish Parliament, but has to date not attracted the support of a single LibDem MSP.
That failure to support their own party colleague’s stance can only be taken as a clear signal of their support for the Tory-led coalition’s plans to unfairly penalise thousands of people across Scotland.
Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Keir said:
“The Tory-led coalition has targeted almost every group of vulnerable people imaginable, and the fulsome support of Holyrood’s LibDems for these cuts will shock many of the people who voted for them.
“With backing for policies as utterly unfair as the ones the UK Government is pursuing, it is no wonder that support for the LibDems in Scotland has collapsed.
“Mike Crockart is entirely right to brand the plans of the Tory-led coalition he continues to prop up as unfair. It is just a shame that his colleagues in Holyrood lack the backbone to even criticise the UK Government, let alone take action.
“The question they have to answer is why do they believe it is better for these critical decisions to be made by people who are predominantly not elected in Scotland, instead of by a Scottish Parliament 100% elected by people in Scotland?”
