Anas Sarwar has faced a rebellion among his own MSPs over the Labour Government’s cuts to Winter Fuel Payments. Two of his colleagues – Alex Rowley and Richard Leonard – voted with the SNP to demand Chancellor Rachel Reeves think again.
Five others – Monica Lennon, Carol Mochan, Pauline McNeill, Rhoda Grant and Katy Clark – did not vote. Reeves caused anger after she announced a universal WFP would be replaced with a means-tested system.
Millions of older people across the UK will lose up to £300 and up to 900,000 Scots will be hit. After a debate at Holyrood, MSPs backed an SNP government motion to reverse the introduction of means-testing.
But Labour voted against the motion, a decision that sparked a major rebellion in Sarwar’s ranks.
Scottish Labour sources say Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie are unhappy with the Reeves policy. But they do not believe it will be reversed and have instead put the focus on the SNP.
This is a breaking news story – we’ll bring you updates, pictures and video as it happens.
For the latest news and breaking news visit dailyrecord.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter @Record_Politics and get updates from the team: @paulhutcheon, @andrewJQuinn97 and @dennynews.
We’re also on Facebook – your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here