A Tory MSP has revealed he is "lobbying" his Conservative colleagues at Westminster to reverse the cut to Universal Credit.
Alexander Stewart said he had "real sympathy" with comments made last week by Ruth Davidson, who claimed the reduction in the benefit was the “wrong thing to do”.
The £20 uplift to the all-in-one benefit was a temporary measure to help poorer families during the pandemic and is due to come to an end from October 6 in a move that has sparked fury among anti-poverty campaigners.
Davidson, the former Scottish Conservatives leader, , told ITV’s Robert Peston that the cut was “bad politics” that would hit the Tories when the cut came in and, inevitably, when the funds were restored.
She said: “Personally I think it’s the wrong thing to do. I think it’s the wrong thing to do for people on low incomes."
Stewart, an MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, was speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week when he said "discussions" were continuing between Conservatives at Holyrood and Westminster over the benefits cut.
Responding to an intervention from Christine Graham, in which he was asked if he agreed with Davidson's comments calling for the UC uplift to be made permanent, Stewart replied: "I and many of my colleagues still are lobbying and still having discussions with our colleagues in Westminster.
"And personally, I have some real sympathy with that proposal, and I will continue to do the lobbying, and continue to make that heard from this parliament to other members in another parliament."
SNP MSP Emma Roddick said: "The Scottish Tories clearly realise how disastrous this cut is – but they are motivated by their own political interest rather than people and communities across Scotland who will be hurt most by this.
“And their hypocrisy is sickening – they may claim to be against the cut, but they continue to support a UK Tory government that imposes these cruel and callous policies on the people of Scotland.
This devastating policy is yet another example of how Scotland will be better served with independence, giving us the chance to build a fairer society.”
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