ALL bar one of Scotland’s political party leaders have confirmed that they will join campaigners at Holyrood today to support calls to scrap the family cap and rape clause.
Tory leader Ruth Davidson will be conspicuous by her absence, according to one of the organisers of the Edinburgh protest.
Sarah Masson told The National: “All party leaders and MSPs have been contacted and invited to join the campaigners… All party leaders have confirmed, bar Ruth Davidson. It is extremely disappointing that she will not be joining with her constituents, as well as others from across Scotland, in calling for the family cap and rape clause to be reversed. The response from the Scottish Conservatives has been lacking in compassion and unhelpful.
“People across the country have been making their strong opposition to this policy heard loud and clear, and will do so again today. Ruth Davidson’s absence at the demonstration will be conspicuous with all other party leaders attending, and just illustrates that she is out of touch with people across Scotland.”
The measures came into force on April 6, and limit Child Tax Credits to two children unless a woman can prove that the third or subsequent child was born of rape. Women’s groups were invited to act as third party verifiers by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), but Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women’s Aid refused to participate. And the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said it was not the role of nurses or midwives to judge if a woman claiming the subsequent child benefit had been raped.
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