HEALTH Secretary Neil Gray clashed with a BBC presenter over the definition of “Labour austerity” in a tense exchange.
The Scottish Government minister took issue with journalist Martin Geissler’s insistence that Labour’s policies do not fit the definition of austerity as “public spending” is going up.
However, Gray insisted that the impact of the £5 billion cut to the welfare bill equates to austerity.
It comes as the Health Secretary told the Sunday Show programme he believed that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had made a “big mistake” by equating the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with “out of work benefits”.
Asked if the Scottish Government could afford to mitigate the impact of the cuts to disability payments, Gray told the programme on Sunday that ministers would have to “look at what this new wave of Labour austerity is going to mean”.
Geissler interjected to insist that it was not austerity because “public spending is actually going up over this term of Parliament”.
“So it doesn’t fit with the definition of austerity.”
Gray fired back: “Tell that to disabled people, tell that to WASPI women, tell that to pensioners who have lost their Winter Fuel Payments.
“We are still to see what the cuts to departmental spending at Westminster is going to do to our block grant.”
Earlier, Geissler asked if Gray believed there are “too many people in Scotland on benefits”.
Gray responded: “I think the Chancellor made a big mistake in this presentation. She equated the Personal Independence Payment, which is a disability payment, with out of work benefits. “And PIP is not there as an out of work benefit. It is to support the cost of disability.
“And so if you're looking to get more people into employment, it would serve you better to provide greater support.”
Pressed again on whether there are too many Scots claiming benefits, Gray said the Chancellor was trying to “balance the books on the backs of disabled people”.
We told how the impact of Labour’s benefit cuts could be “really quite severe”.
The reforms would see a huge number of people denied PIP, with the eligibility tightening.
The benefit helps those with disabilities with extra living costs.
It comes in two parts: a daily living part, for people who struggle with everyday tasks; and a mobility part, for people who have difficulty getting around.
In Scotland, those currently claiming PIP are being transferred to the Scottish Disability Payment, with the move due to be completed in the spring.
The Fraser of Allander Institute has suggested that a £1bn reduction in PIP spending through reduced caseload would worsen the Scottish Budget by around £115m.
