6 reasons why we have no confidence in this farcical Tory government

by Olaf Stando
Posted on
6 years ago
4 min read

We were promised ‘an equal partnership’ in a ‘family of nations’. Four years on, Tories only ever rode roughshod over Scottish interests.

We were promised ‘strong and stable’. Now, after 117 Tory backbenchers expressed no confidence in the Prime Minister, and the government has faced an astonishing defeat on their Brexit deal, that assertion is completely laughable.

Tonight, the SNP MPs will have the opportunity to say it loud and clear in a vote of no confidence: we do not want this Tory government, and we’re determined to bring it down. Here are just 6 reasons why.

1) Tories are trying to push Scotland off the Brexit cliff – we won’t allow them

Scotland voted decisively to remain in the European Union, and the SNP was the first party to put forward serious compromise proposals to keep Scotland and the rest of the UK in the Single Market and the Customs Union.

However, the UK government arrogantly dismissed these proposals, and trapped itself in a cage of red lines by pandering to the hard-right Brexiteers.

After two years of failed negotiations, Theresa May suffered the biggest defeat by any government in British history. Her Brexit deal is dead, she is living in a world of delusion, and we have no confidence in her ability to negotiate with the EU.

2) They are the architects of the two-child Tax Credit cap and the rape clause

This is a government that has nothing but contempt for working families, and its welfare policies are a testament to that.

The use of foodbanks has drastically increased since the Tories came into power, welfare recipients are being callously sanctioned, homelessness is on the rise, and to top it all off, they have suggested that people who are poor should not be entitled to any more than two children.

3) Universal Credit has been a disaster

From the outset, the roll-out of Universal Credit has been a disaster, and all the evidence and experts now say that Universal Credit is causing unnecessary hardship, with families falling behind in rent payments and increasingly being forced to rely on emergency welfare support and foodbanks to feed themselves.

Despite calls from all quarters, demanding the UK government fix the fundamental flaws in the system, they have refused.

A government which ignores the damaging consequences of its actions, even when all around it warn them, is a government we can’t ever have confidence in.

4) They want to throw away up to £205 billion on Trident – we say no!

Trident renewal could cost up to a staggering £205 billion over its lifetime. This is money that should instead be spent on building hospitals, improving schools, and taking people out of poverty.

We will never support weapons of mass destruction, and we have no confidence in a Tory government that is dumping nuclear submarines on the Clyde against Scotland’s will. With independence, we can get rid of Trident once and for all.

5) Tories’ approach to immigration is toxic, and is firmly against Scotland’s interest

The UK government’s recently published White Paper sets out a plan to dramatically slash immigration into the UK. This is an arbitrary and senseless approach, going against economic logic and lacking a moral compass.

Cutting migration would damage all sectors of Scotland’s economy, put jobs in danger, and is something that goes fundamentally against Scotland’s interest and is just another reason why we can’t back this shambolic government.

In stark contrast, in Scotland, we are proud to welcome migrants and are grateful for the contribution they make to our economy and society.

6) Scotland never voted for this or any Tory government for over half a century

The UK has a fundamental democratic deficit, with Scotland suffering from Tory governments we never voted for.

No one can forget the scale of damage that Margaret Thatcher inflicted on Scotland, and the damage that the current UK government is making is clear for all to see.

From the power grab, through to the sell-out of Scottish fishermen and all the way to pushing us down the Brexit cliff, this is a government that is bad for Scotland.