Former Labour MSP publishes 'lied' statement as he quits party over £5bn welfare benefits cut

Former MSP Neil Findlay has resigned his Labour Party membership after the UK government cut £5 billion from welfare.

Mr Findlay, a former Lothians MSP, posted an open letter on social media where he accused his party of trying to "punish and stigmatise the weak, poor and the vulnerable”.

This comes after UK Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced sweeping reforms to the welfare system, including tightening the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (PIP).

This payment is devolved to Scotland as the adult disability benefit. But the cuts will likely mean the Scottish Government will receive less money from Westminster to pay for it.

Mr Findlay also hit out at the Labour government’s decision to means-test winter fuel payments for pensioners and the failure to compensate Waspi women.

Former Lothian MSP Neil Findlay | Contributed

He said he could no longer remain in the party that he has been a member of for 35 years as it “lied to the British people at the last election and with regularity betrays the people who voted for it”.

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Mr Findlay’s open letter said: “Over three-and-a half-decades, I have volunteered for many different roles in the party, posted more leaflets than I care to remember, knocked on tens of thousands of doors, raised money for elections and served nine years as a councillor and ten as an MSP.

“But today I can no longer remain a member a party that lied to the British people at the last election and with regularity betrays the people who voted for it.

“At a time when more people are going hungry, fuel bills are soaring and the cost of living is leaving working-class families unable to afford the basics, a Labour government should be going after the billions lost in corporate tax fraud and avoidance, it should be making those companies that pollute our environment pay and it should be introducing a wealth tax on the super rich.

“But instead you choose to punish and stigmatise the weak, poor and the vulnerable.”

Mr Findlay added: “The reality is that Labour will be lucky to come third at the forthcoming Scottish election, will lose power in Wales for the first time and faces being routed at the next UK election and this will be down to your disastrous tenure as leader.

“All of which threatened the very existence of the party. MPs who continue to support your agenda are turkeys voting for Christmas.

“In solidarity with the individuals and families who will be affected by these vindictive and brutal policies and for my own sanity, dignity and self respect I can no longer remain a member of the Labour party.”

First Minister John Swinney says he is “not surprised” to see Mr Findlay rescinding his Labour Party membership.

First Minister John Swinney. | Press Association

He said: “I saw Neil Findlay’s comments this morning and I’m not at all surprised to read what he said.

“I can’t fathom what the Labour government thinks it is doing.

“I think it’s made a number of huge mistakes already - the winter fuel cut was a disastrous mistake for a Labour government to make. That proposal was offered to the Tories on countless occasions and they never took it.

“Now they’ve taken cuts to disability benefits, which even the Tories didn’t do, so I’m not surprised Neil Findlay finds himself where he finds himself. I understand how tough this will be for him and for others.”

He added: “I see some other comments from some current serving Labour members of parliament indicating this is the return to austerity I predicted would be the case, which Anas Sarwar told me wouldn’t be the case.

“We now know that Anas Sarwar’s words count for absolutely nothing, because this is the return to austerity that I told everybody would happen unless some hard realities to the public finances were addressed.

“Labour are interested, now, in returning austerity and punishing the most vulnerable in our society.

“What a disgrace the Labour Party has become.”