As I highlighted in my last column, during the General Election, the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that both Labour and the Tories were engaged in a conspiracy of silence about the true scale of tax and spending choices. A warning that is sadly coming to fruition. 

Last month we saw Labour MPs refuse to support scrapping the two child cap, and this month, we have seen the withdrawal of winter heating allowances for millions of pensioners which will doubtless cause hardship this coming winter.  And because the public finances of Scotland are intrinsically linked to decisions made in Westminster.  Those cuts bite home here too.

The decision by the Labour UK government to means test the Winter Fuel Payment means that pensioners in Clackmannanshire will face the brunt of Westminster economic chaos.

I would encourage any pensioners in Clackmannanshire not already receiving pension credit to check if they are eligible as this is the only way to ensure they will still receive the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment that they are entitled to

The Labour Party that stood - and was elected – on a platform and promise of change is delivering nothing of the sort.  The snake oil is still the same, it is just Tory austerity with a Labour label.  Labour MPs from Scotland had the opportunity to vote to overturn the three-child benefit cap and the rape clause – but they fell at the first hurdle.  It is clear, they won’t stand up for Scotland’s people and Scotland’s economy.  As the axe falls, each and every one of those Labour MPs is helping to swing it.

I recently learned that the Royal British Legion has decided to cease funding for the Armed Services Advice Project (ASAP) with effect of 31 October 2024 which means the services delivered under the scheme will stop.

ASAP was established in 2010 as a partnership between Poppy Scotland and Citizen’s Advice Scotland to provide dedicated information, advice and support to members of the Armed Forces Community in Scotland.

The service which costs £478,000 pa to run, and covers 75% of local authority areas in Scotland, has generated over £20million of financial gain for the veterans community in Scotland since its inception and has been hailed as a “lifeline” by many veterans.

In my view ASAP has more than proven its worth in financial terms, but also in improved mental health and wellbeing for veterans and their families.  I have written to the Royal British Legion expressing my concerns and asking them to reconsider this decision. 

Finally, those of you who visit Alloa regularly, may have noticed my constituency office is on the move.  While the door may have been locked for the last time at the premises on Mill Street,  my team will continue to provde an excellent service to the people of Clackmannanshire & Dunblane - just a different address: Office 2.5, The E-Centre, Cooperage Way, Alloa FK10 3LP.