Martin Docherty MP said,
“Ms Baillie’s position is farcical. Labour deliberately ensured that they did not have enough members in the chamber to win the vote on their own amendment and in any case, the SNP in good conscience could not vote in favour of a Labour amendment that pledged support for a number of this Government’s ill thought out welfare reforms.
The fact is that if all Labour MPs had turned up and joined us in voting against the second reading of this Bill, the Government’s welfare reform plans would have been stopped in their tracks as enough Tory MPs were absent to give the opposition a rare majority. For Labour to move an amendment supporting Tory policies and then to abstain when we try to block this legislation is a betrayal of the communities they are suppose represent.
The SNP are the only real opposition to the Government in Westminster and it’s clear that Labour will continue to help the Tories implement their austerity agenda.
The SNP will continue to speak up and oppose these damaging reforms on behalf of the communities of Scotland.”
