Exclusive:Scottish Labour benefit cuts rebel U-turns to back welfare reforms
Elaine Stewart has written in The Scotsman that ‘too many young people are becoming trapped on long-term sickness benefits’ and the ‘role of the welfare state is not simply to provide financial assistance’
A Scottish Labour benefit cuts rebel has U-turned to back the UK government’s welfare reforms.
Writing in The Scotsman, Elaine Stewart said “too many young people are becoming trapped on long-term sickness benefits” and the “role of the welfare state is not simply to provide financial assistance”.
The Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP said that welfare reform must be about “redirecting resources away from lifelong dependency and towards creating the opportunity for that better future”.
Ms Stewart was among more than 100 Labour MPs - more than a dozen of them Scottish - who revolted against the UK government’s attempt to slash the benefits bill by £5 billion last year.
Sir Keir Starmer was forced to water down the measures at the last minute to avoid an embarrassing defeat in the Commons.
In May, Ms Stewart was made a parliamentary private secretary - a government aide - to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden.
The MP wrote: “Too many young people are becoming trapped on long-term sickness benefits and, in doing so, are losing their connection to education, employment and opportunity.”
She continued: “A better future means having the opportunity to stand on your own feet, not spending a lifetime on benefits.
“Today, there is a growing recognition in Parliament that welfare reform cannot simply be about benefits. Too often, the debate is framed as a choice between cuts and spending. But reform is neither.
“Real reform means redirecting resources away from lifelong dependency and towards creating the opportunity for that better future.”
She said that she signed an amendment to block the reforms last year because she was “not convinced” that the proposals “expanded opportunity for those who need it most.”
But she wrote that she believes the government “should not be afraid to reduce young people’s reliance on welfare.”
Ms Stewart wrote: “The role of the welfare state is not simply to provide financial assistance. It is to create opportunity, independence and hope. A compassionate society should always protect those who need support, but true compassion also means empowering people to fulfil their potential and participate fully in society.
“That is why my position on this debate has evolved. We should not be afraid to reduce young people’s reliance on welfare, and in doing so, ultimately reduce the welfare bill.
“Far from it, we should have the confidence to instead invest more effectively in their future.
“This is not about removing the safety net that protects the most vulnerable, but about building a springboard to help people build young people’s skills, confidence and opportunities to support themselves where possible. The focus is no longer solely on what support someone receives when they are out of work.
“The goal should be a system that empowers young people to get on in life through opportunity, aspiration and work. For too long, the welfare debate has been framed around entitlement and dependency. The more important question to address is around opportunity.
“How do we ensure that every young person, regardless of their background or circumstances, can succeed? This is the debate the Government is now beginning to lead.
“And it is why, despite my reservations in the past, I believe that this is the right track.
“We should not simply aim to provide an income. We should aim to provide a future.”
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