Richard Leonard The website of Richard Leonard MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
13 December 2018
Richard Leonard has demanded the SNP government act to end the two-child cap after ministers refused to do so in the budget.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, the Scottish Labour leader urged Nicola Sturgeon to use Holyrood’s power to mitigate the worst of Tory policies.
Lifting the two-child cap and ending the Tories’ callous rape clause would cost just £69million, or 0.2 per cent of the Scottish Government’s total budget spending.
Richard said:
“The Scottish Parliament has the power to mitigate the two-child cap.
“That would immediately benefit 3,780 families across Scotland - some by over £2,500 per child, per year.
“The urgent issue for these families is not which parliament sets social security policy, it is whether their kids go to bed hungry tonight and whether they can clothe them tomorrow morning.
“It would cost just 0.2 per cent of the Scottish budget to deliver – and Nicola Sturgeon must act.”