The Scottish National Party has called on Labour to intensify its fight against poverty across the United Kingdom, following the disclosure that the Scottish Government will allocate £159 million this year to offset the effects of UK policies such as the bedroom tax. The figures, contained in Holyrood's spending plans for 2026-27, indicate that more than £1 billion has been expended over the past 15 years to alleviate the consequences of stringent welfare measures.
Background of the Bedroom Tax
The bedroom tax was introduced in 2013 by the then Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government at Westminster. Under this policy, claimants receive reduced housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs if they reside in a property deemed to have one or more spare bedrooms. Following a campaign by the Daily Record, the SNP Government, with Labour support, agreed to mitigate the costs of the policy in Scotland.
SNP ministers will spend an additional £159 million over the next 12 months to counteract UK Government policies through Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund. This ongoing mitigation effort underscores the financial burden placed on Scotland by Westminster decisions.
SNP Challenges Burnham
The Nationalists are now challenging Andy Burnham, who is expected to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister later this month, to outline his strategies for reducing poverty. Michelle Campbell, MSP for Renfrewshire North, stated: "It speaks volumes that despite all the noise from Andy Burnham over the last few weeks, we’ve heard absolutely nothing about cutting poverty. In Scotland, we spend over a hundred million pounds a year mitigating harmful Labour Party policies like the Bedroom Tax, keeping thousands of Scots above the poverty line."
Campbell added: "So here's a suggestion for Andy Burnham - if he's serious about delivering change, why doesn't he follow the Scottish Government's lead and commit to scrapping those policies across the UK. Better still, if he copies action by the SNP Scottish Government he could lift more than a million kids out of poverty overnight - that’s what a government serious about ending child poverty looks like."
She concluded: "Through a fresh start with independence we can build a thriving economy and a system that supports people out of poverty rather than clearing up the mess of Westminster decisions time and time again."
Historical Context and Mitigation Efforts
In 2014, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed the SNP Government to mitigating the impact of the bedroom tax, despite lacking the powers to abolish it. This commitment followed a year-long campaign by the Daily Record, which propelled the issue to the top of the political agenda and prompted Labour and the SNP to set aside differences to assist the poorest in society. The UK Government confirmed in 2013 that control over the amount Holyrood can provide to social housing tenants unable to afford rent would be devolved, enabling the cap to be mitigated.
The Daily Record has sought comment from Andy Burnham and the UK Government regarding their plans to address poverty.
