MICHELLE Ballantyne is coming under pressure to resign as Scottish Tory Welfare spokesperson after she told people on benefits that they “cannot have as many children as they like”.

The MSP was accused of hypocrisy, as Ballantyne has claimed tax credits and child benefit for her own six children.

The outrageous comment in the middle of a Holyrood debate on ending austerity, poverty and inequality visibly shocked other MSPs in the parliament yesterday afternoon.

Even her own Tory colleagues seemed to be taken aback by the brutal bluntness.

During her speech the Tory said she was proud of reforms brought in by the Government in Westminster.

Communities secretary Aileen Campbell intervened to ask if she was proud to be associated about the so-called rape clause.

The Tory replied: “The two-child limit is about fairness. It is fair that people on benefit cannot have as many children as they like, while people who work and pay their way and don’t pay decisions, have to make decisions about the number of children they can have.”

MSP Tom Arthur said the Tory’s position was untenable.

“Michelle Ballantyne’s comments were vile and ignorant – and should have no place in Scottish political life.

“Given her comments, and what we now know about her hypocrisy and her form on the issue, Michelle Ballantyne’s position as Tory welfare spokesperson is completely untenable.

“That Ruth Davidson thought someone with Ms Ballantyne’s views would be acceptable in this role is all we need to know about the Scottish Tories. “If Ms Davidson and her Deputy won’t remove Ms Ballantyne she should resign as Tory welfare spokesperson – otherwise it will be clear that the Tories are prepared to drag the debate into the gutter as their welfare cuts drive more and more children into poverty.”

The Tories insisted Ballantyne was not resigning.

A spokesman told The National: "If everyone who disagreed with Tom Arthur had to resign Holyrood would be a lonely place.”

The issue was raised at First Minister’s Questions, with Nicola Sturgeon calling the comments “appalling and ignorant of the reality that is faced by many families.”

Sturgeon added: “The comments were appalling because the idea that being poor should be a barrier to having a family is Dickensian, and shows the Scottish Conservatives in their true colours. The comments were ignorant because the rape clause will not apply only when children are first born: from next year it will apply to children of any age when a family’s circumstances change such that they need to claim benefits. To defend the rape clause misses the point, which is that any of us can experience a change in circumstances at any time.

“Michelle Ballantyne seemed to suggest that if a family who had three children while the parents were in work were suddenly to fall into different circumstances, those children should be penalised as a result, which is absolutely shameful. The social security safety net is there for all of us, should we need it in times of distress or in changed circumstances. Shame on the Conservatives for dismantling that social security safety net.”

On Wednesday evening Ballantyne refused to apologise when confronted by media at Holyrood.

“It probably didn’t come out as well as it should have,” she said, “But I think it is quite right that we all have to make decisions about the income we have and the number of children we can have accordingly.

“If you have an uncapped benefit, the pay who pay for that is the people who aren’t on benefits, and they have to limit the number of children they can have.”

She admitted she had claimed child benefit for each of her six children, as she had been on an income of less than £25,000.

She told the journalists: “Most people would tell you they can’t afford to have more than a couple of children. That’s why the benefit cap isn’t the evil it’s made out to be and we have to be rational and reasonable about it.”

Asked if there was a right number of children for the poor, she said: “I don’t think there is a right number.”

She went on: “I think what’s important is that benefits do enable you to have a family and I do think that’s really important, but I don’t think that benefits should just be unlimited, because how are you going to improve your situation? Benefits should be a springboard to get you out of poverty. That won’t happen if your benefits just rise and rise and rise.”

“At the end of the day, I’m not just sounding off. Government has to make tough choices, Otherwise the whole thing runs amok.”

She said critics of the welfare reforms were having an “emotional reaction”.

Asked if they were having an emotional reaction to the rape clause, she said: “I think they’re having a disproportionate reaction.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “This is the mask of Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Tory party slipping. These comments by Michelle Ballantyne are abhorrent and show the true views held by senior Tory MSPs – nasty and archaic.”

He called for the comments to be retracted and for Ballantyne to apologise