5 Tory policies that Ruth Davidson knows are hurting Scotland but still supports

At the general election last year, Ruth Davidson told the people of ­Scotland that her new band of 13 Tory MPs would “forcefully” argue for Scotland’s interests in ­Westminster – but nothing could be further from the truth.

Ruth Davidson thinks that the Scottish Tories can continue to deflect and divert from their party’s record. But she’s wrong. Here are just five policies Ruth Davidson knows are hurting Scotland but regardless still supports.

Theresa May’s hard Brexit

Despite arguing the case for remaining the European Union, Ruth Davidson and her band of 13 Tory MPs are now lockstep with Theresa May’s hard Brexit plans that will damage Scotland economy and interests.

Even when presented with the chance to secure a victory for Scotland’s fishing communities, Ruth Davidson showed just how little influence she and her Scottish Tory MPs have, with the UK government once again selling out our fishing communities.

Now the UK government, with its EU Withdrawal Bill, is making a grab for Scotland’s powers. A power grab that could see our NHS opened up to privatisation by the UK government in order to get a trade deal with the United States – and the Scottish Parliament could have no say at all. That is completely unacceptable.

Help us send a loud and clear message to the Tory government – hands off Scotland’s parliament and our NHS. Sign here.

The two child tax credit cap and rape clause

It’s now been over a year since the Tories brutal and callous rape clause came into effect, and the Scottish Conservatives have continued to remain silent on the issue, whilst Ruth Davidson remains in support of the policy.

By 2021, around 50,000 families in Scotland will be worse off due to the Tory decision to limit tax credits to the first two children and the rape clause now requires women to prove they’ve been raped in order to qualify for child tax credits for a third child.

SNP MPs will continue to lead the fight to reverse and abolish this unacceptable policy. Read more about the two child tax credit cap and rape clause here.

Disability and Benefit Cuts

The UK government are continuing to push forward with their £4.4 billion cut to disability benefits, which could see around 30,000 people in Scotland lose their entitlement to disability benefits.

Scottish Conservative MPs have said and done nothing to challenge this chaotic decision, despite the fact a UK Supreme Court ruling said the changes were unfair to people with mental health conditions.

With the new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament, we will maintain – not cut – disability benefits.

Forcing families to feed their children from food banks through benefit sanctions

Four million children are now living in poverty in the UK, with the Tories’ punitive benefit sanctions regime leaving parents unable to properly feed their children and forcing them to rely on food banks.

The Trussell Trust, the largest providers of food parcels, saw the number of three-day emergency food parcels needed in Scotland increase by 14 per cent in 2016. The Trussell Trust identified the Conservative government benefits delays and changes, including sanctions, as the main reason people turned to food banks.

Read more about the Tories’ Benefit Sanctions here.

The Bedroom Tax

Ruth Davidson has called the UK government’s ideologically driven Bedroom Tax “necessary”, despite the fact it would have negatively impacted around 80,000 homes in Scotland.

The SNP government has fully mitigated the Tory Bedroom Tax, which would otherwise have disproportionately impacted low income families and the disabled, and when as soon as we have the necessary powers we will effectively abolish it.