Jamie Greene, local Conservative candidate has hit back at claims from Kenneth Gibson that the UK government’s plans to devolve more powers for the Back to Work scheme have “collapsed” according to Mr Gibson. The SNP MSP said that “The Tories want to be seen to devolve powers to Scotland whilst crippling our ability to make those powers work”.
The Conservative candidate responded by saying that “First of all, the success of the Work Programme (which by the way has resulted in 481,000 positive job outcomes, with 43,000 in Scotland), enables the focus to shift to those who are hardest to reach.
This is typical –Westminster bad, SNP good- arguments from the SNP. The UK labour market has seen the number of people unemployed fall to its LOWEST level since 2006 (1.71m). As the numbers claiming benefits come down, spending on employment programmes can rightly also fall.
Let me be clear, the UK Government is fully implementing the agreed Smith Commission transfer of powers in relation to support for unemployed people and people with health conditions. Scottish Ministers now have the freedom to design employment support aligned with devolved skills and health systems, ensuring a more integrated approach.”
He concluded “Under Universal Credit, claimants will be supported longer-term, beyond the threshold of finding work. Early and continuing engagement between Work Coaches and claimants with health conditions and disabilities will help to keep claimants closer to the labour market.”