On Friday 21 March, protestors gathered in front of Ian Murray MP’s office to protest the Labour government’s decision to cut benefit spending.
Although Murray – the MP for Edinburgh South and the Secretary of State for Scotland – had little influence on the government’s new policy, similar protests have taken place across the UK since the announcement of benefit reform was made.
This controversial announcement was made by Liz Kendall MP, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 18 March. The planned spending cuts on unemployment and disability benefits are intended to save £5 billion over the next 5 years.
Furthermore, in her Spring Statement on the economy on 26 March, Chancellor Rachel Reeves doubled down on public expenditure changes, calling them “non-negotiable”. Reeves pointed to “global uncertainties” and the UK’s poor growth forecast as having forced the government’s hand on this issue.
The eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which currently assist over 3.3 million people in the UK, are also set to be tightened by the Labour government in an effort to control the budget.
The Scottish equivalent to PIP, named Adult Disability Payments, currently assists approximately 500,000 people in Scotland.
In an online statement, the Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty claimed that “the attack on benefits undermines all workers’ wages and conditions”. Their statement went on to mention other “cruel measures”, such as the two-child benefit cap, and the UK’s funding for Israel.
The protest in Edinburgh was organised and carried out by the Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and the Austerity Resistance Front. Like many people, they fear that benefit reforms will see people with disabilities lose much-needed welfare payments.
A crowd arrived outside the MP’s office on Minto Street, carrying signs which warned of the consequences of benefit cuts, both to people and the current government.
One sign read, “If you exploit us, we will shut you down”, while another said, “austerity kills.”
Smaller signs were brandished, depicting the grim reaper and the message “cutting disability benefits kills.”
However, at a meeting for the Scottish Affairs Committee on the 25th of March, Murray claimed that new spending cuts will have ‘zero impact’ on the Scottish people. The validity of this claim, as well as the effects of these cuts on Scottish people, are yet to be seen.
“File:Official portrait of Ian Murray crop 1.jpg” by Chris McAndrew is licensed under CC BY 3.0.