HARVIE: ATTACK ON WELFARE SHOWS UNION NOT WORKING
Speaking in today's Scottish Parliament debate on welfare reform, Green MSP Patrick Harvie challenged those who argue that the UK is the best way of sharing economic risks and rewards.
As new figures from SCVO show 870,000 Scots are living in poverty, Mr Harvie highlighted other figures showing the richest 100 Scots now have a combined wealth of £21billion.
Welfare reform has seen housing benefit cuts such as the bedroom tax, and fit-for-work tests described by Mr Harvie as humiliating.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said:
"These so-called reforms are in fact the dismantling of the welfare state by a UK Coalition whose mantra of we're all in it together increasingly sounds like a sick joke. When we see the growing gap between the mega-rich and the rest of us we must see the logic in seizing the opportunity to run our own welfare system.
"What is even more galling is the hypocrisy of successive Westminster governments who have no problem with corporate welfare. Rather than hyping the idea of skivers versus strivers government should be cracking down on wealthy tax dodgers and companies that pay poverty wages."
Charities warn that Scotland faces disaster as it's revealed 870,000 Scots are living below breadline (Daily Record)