THE Scottish Conservatives’ local election manifesto launch has been disrupted by a protester furious over the Tories’ Universal Credit cut.
Serial protester Sean Clerkin told “Mr Three Jobs Ross” that his party should raise benefits in line with inflation and restore the £20-a-week Universal Credit payment which was scrapped last year.
Journalists and campaigners had gathered at the Marriot Hotel in Glasgow to hear Douglas Ross announce the key parts of the Scottish Tory council election manifesto.
But while the party leader was speaking, Clerkin began to shout across the room about the UK Government’s failings on social security and cost of living crisis.
Sean Clerkin heckling Douglas Ross at the Scottish Tory manifesto launch. pic.twitter.com/YAxgHIuIU4
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) April 14, 2022
He told Ross: “People are going to be driven into poverty because of the cost of living increase all because of the criminal leaders that are down in Westminster, Johnson and Sunak. They should be forced to resign over partygate.”
“There's going to be social unrest in Scotland unless you stop what you're doing.
“We need to uprate benefits, Social Security benefits by the rate of inflation, 7-9% All I'm saying is you should be raising the rate for social security, universal credit by seven to nine per cent and restore the £20 a week to Universal Credit, that's what you should be doing, Mr Ross, Mr Three Jobs Ross.”
While Tory staffers tried to remove Clerkin, Ross told them not to and allowed the protester to continue speaking.
At the end of his intervention, Clerkin made his way out of the function room.
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Clerkin regularly protests against UK Government policies, and once forced former Scottish Labour chief Iain Gray into hiding in a Subway shop when he disrupted a party event in Glasgow.
He has made headlines for burning Union flags, interrupting Nicola Sturgeon at FMQs and protesting against a lack of Covid travel restrictions at the Scottish Border.
Last year he was charged with aggravated breach of the peace after holding up a sign reading “England Get Out of Scotland” at Edinburgh Airport. Charges were later dropped, with Clerkin describing the legal action as a “waste of public money”.
More to follow
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