THE Scottish Tories will today attempt to derail plans to give free bus travel to asylum seekers in a “nasty” political move.
The party will force a vote on the issue and have accused the SNP of being “out of touch” for pursuing the policy, arguing the money would be better spent supporting pensioners with heating bills.
But the Greens have accused the Tories of using asylum seekers as “a political football” as they attempt to win back support from Reform UK.
Craig Hoy (below), the Scottish Tory finance spokesperson, said: “Squandering taxpayers’ money on free bus travel for asylum seekers confirms how out-of-touch the SNP are.
“That’s why we’re forcing a vote on this Budget measure this week in Parliament to show it is only the Scottish Conservatives who are on the side of the public on this issue.”
The Scottish Tories have previously claimed that the £2 million budgeted to provide asylum seekers with free bus travel could fund a winter heating support scheme for pensioners.
It comes as the party struggles to combat the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has capitalised on the Tory record on immigration in office.
Despite hardline rhetoric on migration, the Tories presided over unprecedented levels of net migration, which Farage has used to his advantage.
New Tory leader Kemi Badenoch last month claimed the party “got it wrong” on immigration.
Greens MSP Maggie Chapman accused the Scottish Tories were trying to “pit marginalised groups against each other”.
She added: “They are using the rights of people seeking asylum as a political football. It is a transparent attempt to fan the flames of hate and division in a bid to win far right votes from Reform.
“The Tories have tried to pretend that this is about supporting pensioners, but if that were remotely true they wouldn’t have spent the last 14 years wrecking our economy and inflicting cuts and austerity on vulnerable people.
“As a country, we have a moral responsibility to support and protect people who seek safety here and help them to rebuild their lives.”
Chapman (above) said the money spent on the policy was a “small” amount and represented a “compassionate step that will make a big difference to the lives of people who have been forced into state-sanctioned poverty by a punishing and cruel system”.
SNP MSP David Torrance said the Scottish Tories had their sums wrong because the money was set aside in the Budget for the next financial year.
He said: “The Tories now appear to be calling for funding in the 2025-26 Budget to be used to pay for more spending this year.
“That shows a remarkable level of financial incompetence, even for the party of Liz Truss.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Extending free bus travel to people seeking asylum would support those who receive very limited support for living costs from the UK Government while waiting for an asylum decision, enabling them to access essential services and to contribute to their local community.
“This is set out as part of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget which delivers record investment to improve our NHS, provides universal winter heating support for pensioners, puts in place the mechanism to end the impact of the two-child cap and increases investment in housing to deliver at least 8,000 new homes.”
