As the Conservative continue their plans to introduce cuts to tax credits, official statistics has shown that this will impact up to 43,000 families in Mid Scotland and Fife.

According to figures, Kirkcaldy may be the hardest hit, with just under 7,000 families receiving child or working tax credits, which face being cut by the Conservative Government. Cowdenbeath will see just under 6,000 facing cuts with 5,700 in Mid Fife and Glenrothes under threat

Tax credits where introduced by Gordon Brown and the Labour Government to tackle in work poverty. Under the proposed cuts working families could be hit by on average £1,300 a year.

The ideological cuts to tax credits by the Conservative Government has the potential to be their new poll tax and I hope you will stand up for families in Scotland and join us in opposing the cut.Tax credits work and they have helped thousands of families in Fife, especially in Kirkcaldy, Cowdenbeath and Glenrothes.. That’s why the last UK Labour Government established them and that’s why Scottish Labour opposes Tory tax credit cuts.

In an attempt to soften the blow the Conservative Government are introducing a ‘National Living Wage’ that in practice is not a real Living Wage. It discriminates against the young and fails to compensate for the cuts the Tories are introducing.

This is a work penalty on thousands of families in Fife and I will continue to oppose it whilst pushing for the introduction of a true living wage that will benefit those in low paid professions including caring, catering and cleaning.