A Tory Minister has been mocked for claiming that poor people struggling with the cost of living crisis should get a better job.
Rachel Maclean also said people who are struggling could work more hours - despite many folk across Scotland holding down more than one job.
Labour MP Ian Murray said: "Sounds like the Norman Tebbit “get on your bike” instructions from the 1980s. It’s so out of touch with reality that I’m sure the Minister knows how ludicrous it is but they’ll defend Boris Johnson at all costs."
With supermarket, petrol and energy prices skyrocketing, the Tory Government is under pressure to ease the crisis by delivering an emergency budget.
But Maclean, the minister for safeguarding, put the onus on people on low incomes to raise their own incomes in an interview with Sky News.
“Over the long term, we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure that people are able to protect themselves better, whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better paid job,” she said.
After being told that some people are attending food banks after working “every hour that God sends them", she said:
“We have often heard in the past when people are facing problems with their budgets that one of the obstacles, and it may not be for everybody, one of the obstacles is about being able to take on more hours or even move to a better paid job.”
“It's an individual situation, depending on that particular family situation, but that's why the job centres exist. That's why the work coaches exist. That's why we put the support into those job centres, to work with individuals on their own individual situation.”
She added: “Of course it's not going to work for people who are already working in three jobs and that's why we need to have the other measures, such as all the help that we're putting into the schools, the help with the local authorities, help and support that I've already mentioned.”
SNP Cabinet Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville hit out: “Last week folk were too stupid to cook properly. This week folk are too lazy to work enough hours. Can’t believe that UK Government’s response to cost of living crisis is to blame the people being hit the hardest.”
It comes after Tory MP Lee Anderson claimed that poor people struggle to afford food because they don't know how to cook or budget.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
