Public’s help needed, says local MP
Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, has called for Edinburgh residents to join the campaign to dump the rape clause in tax credits. She said that people power was needed to help reject plans from the Tory government to restrict tax credits to two children and introduce a “medieval” clause for vulnerable women.
Last year the UK Government announced plans to restrict tax credits to two children and force women to provide evidence of exceptional circumstances, like proving the third child was born because of rape, for other children. After 15 months of SNP campaigning, there’s been a partial climb-down from the UK Government as it has put the policy out to public consultation. Deidre is calling on constituents to have their say in the consultation to make sure the plan is scrapped.
Ms Brock said: “My SNP colleague, Alison Thewliss picked this up right out of the gate and the SNP has been fighting this Tory government’s medieval plans to introduce a two child policy and a rape clause for tax credits.
“Limiting families to two children is a callous attempt at social engineering by this Tory Government. To ask a victim of rape to prove to bureaucrats that that’s how her child was conceived is just disgusting – a child is a child and should be valued as such; they never chose how they’d get made.
“The policy is out to consultation now so the public has a chance to let the Tories know what they think of it. I’m asking everyone to respond, tell the Government that all children deserve our respect, and help defeat this appalling Tory proposal.”
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