The SNP have been left red in the face after losing two parliamentary motions earlier this month on school meals and railway fares.
The Scottish government had pledged to extend free school meals to all primary school pupils, and continue a pilot scheme at ScotRail to abolish extortionate peak rail fares. Now, however, they say there is no money for either of these plans.
SNP MSPs, meanwhile, were forced to vote against their own promises – by the Tories no less!
Everybody knows the Tories would happily see children go hungry and rail passengers ripped off. But their opportunistic submission of both motions has exposed the rift between the SNP and their former coalition partners, the Scottish Greens.
This will cause consternation in the Scottish Cabinet, who previously relied on the support of the Greens to pass austerity measures. Now they have no guaranteed majority for the budget in October, which will include millions in public sector cuts and cancelled reforms.
Scottish TUC chief Roz Foyer stated that the non-binding votes “shamed” the Scottish government. As working families struggle with the cost of living, and child poverty grows, the SNP are offering less and less in the way of relief.
The announcement that peak rail fares will be introduced has sparked anger. Despite its nationalisation a number of years ago, ScotRail continues to provide atrocious services. Infrastructure is decaying. And the employers face simmering disputes with a demoralised workforce.
People are also puzzled at how punishing rail users with higher fares is going to increase passenger numbers and reduce reliance on private cars – a supposed climate-related priority for the Scottish government.
Moreover, First Minister John Swinney’s claim that his government’s absolute priority remains reducing child poverty flies in the face of the decision on school meals, which have a proven track record in reducing inequality.
The SNP protest that they don’t want to take these decisions; that their hands are tied by the public purse strings. In this regard, they are no different to Keir Starmer, who says working people have no choice but to suffer.
Opposing this austerity logic is only possible by fighting the capitalist system itself. Austerity is a war of the rich against the poor. The working class must organise all means to fight back against this dictatorship of the banks and corporations.
