Tory bids to make her party unelectable north of the border
The horror: Was this the look on Ruth Davidson’s face when she heard Michelle Ballantyne might try to get her old job as Scottish Tory leader?
A Conservative who spoke up in favour of the ‘rape clause’, limiting the number of children benefit claimants can have, may stand to become leader of her party in Scotland.
Way to go, Michelle Ballantyne.
You’ll make your party utterly unelectable north of the border if you succeed.
In 2018, Ballantyne provoked a furious backlash when she defended the so-called rape clause during a Holyrood debate on poverty and inequality.
The South Scotland MSP and party spokesman for social security said: “It is fair that people on benefits cannot have as many children as they like while people who work and pay their way and don’t claim benefits have to make decisions about the number of children they can have.
“Fairness is fairness to everybody, not to one part of the community.”
That’s a weird idea of fairness, considering benefit dependency may not last very long – or shouldn’t, if the system is working properly – but children are for life.
Or does Ms Ballantyne think people on benefits should be condemned to get no further, ever?
Whatever. Who cares?
It seems clear that Scottish Tories know it’s a bad idea letting her anywhere near the public.
Apparently they want a coronation for interim leader Jackson Carlaw – because that’s Tory democracy for you!
It’s looking bad for the toffs either way, isn’t it?
Either they show the public that they scorn democracy, or they face the possibility of having a leader who is electoral poison.
Ruth Davidson must be spinning in her (political) grave.
Source: Michelle Ballantyne joins Scottish Tory leadership contest | The National
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
But Ruth Davidson has also tried to defend it:
https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,ruth-davidson-rape-clause-just-involves-ticking-a-box_13490.htm
Yes, and suffered criticism for it. So she’ll know how inadvisable supporting it is.
Most of the backlash about this horror’s backing of the rape clause and limiting benefits to 2 children was because of the pure hypocricy. She has 6 children and claimed child allowance for all of them.