THE former chief of Better Together has been accused of “hypocrisy” for backing the UK Government’s welfare reforms.
Blair McDougall was one of five Scottish Labour MPs who were widely condemned for signing a letter backing the changes, calling them "truly progressive".
But his past comments on Scottish independence have resurfaced, with The Daily Record highlighting a Better Together paper on welfare which claimed: "Leaving the UK would be a leap in the dark for those reliant on benefits ... by saying no thanks to separation we can make sure that we protect the most vulnerable in our society from the massive cuts that would have to happen in a separate Scotland."
The MP for East Renfrewshire also said on his personal blog in 2017: “Leaving the UK means cutting upwards of £9 billion from public services, welfare and pensions in Scotland ... Surely some of those who joined a crusade against cuts in 2014 must be questioning why they now seek deeper cuts than Osborne ever dreamt of making in Scotland? Surely they must?”
McDougall added: “These cuts are of a size that what we are talking about is the closure of core public services, reductions in payments for existing claimants, and thousands upon thousands of jobs lost. Nationalists can call 'scaremongering' all they like. These are their own facts.”
SNP Deputy Westminster leader Pete Wishart hit out at the Labour MPs “hypocrisy”.
"The Labour Party repeatedly lied to voters during the election. They have broken their promise on austerity cuts – and now families across Scotland are paying the price,” he told the Daily Record.
"Keir Starmer's cuts will push thousands of disabled people into poverty. It's galling to see Scottish Labour MPs acting as cheerleaders for the cuts when so many families will be hit.
"We were told we would be better off under a Labour government but the cost of energy, food and living is soaring, the UK economy is stagnant, businesses are cutting jobs, and now the Labour Party is punching down on the poorest and taking money from disabled people.
"The hypocrisy of Scottish Labour MPs is staggering. Former Better Together chief Blair McDougall spent the independence referendum falsely claiming benefits were only safe under Westminster control, and now he's cheering on as the Labour government slashes them.
"The SNP will stand up for disabled people and oppose these appalling Labour Party cuts every step of the way."
A Scottish Labour spokesperson, meanwhile, said: “No specific plans have been announced.
“However, it is right that we ensure our social security system and our economy encourage people into well paid work, and public finances must be on a sustainable footing.
“At every level of government, we must use the powers we have to tackle the root causes of poverty and sickness and remove the barriers holding people back.”
