In a fresh blow to the Labour Party, former Scottish MSP Neil Findlay has resigned, joining a growing list of disaffected members critical of the UK government’s direction. His departure, announced on March 19, 2025, stems from the party’s plan to slash £5 billion annually from the welfare budget, a move Findlay condemned as an attack on the “weak, poor, and vulnerable.” The left-wing trade unionist, who served as an MSP from 2010 to 2021, accused Labour of betraying its electorate, pointing to broken promises on winter fuel payments, Waspi women compensation, the two-child benefit cap, and the Grangemouth oil refinery closure.
Findlay’s resignation letter to Sir Keir Starmer was scathing, alleging Labour “lied” to voters in the last election. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Lunchtime Live, he called the welfare reforms—set to save £5 billion by 2030 through tightened Personal Independence Payment (PIP) criteria and frozen incapacity benefits—the “final straw.” He criticized the narrative framing claimants as “skivers and shirkers,” while pointing to senior Labour figures, including Starmer, accepting lavish donor freebies as the real “system milkers.” Findlay predicted electoral disaster, warning Labour could “come third” in Scotland’s 2026 election, lose Wales, and face a UK-wide rout, blaming Starmer’s “disastrous” leadership.
Dissent within Labour’s ranks isn’t limited to Findlay. Scottish Labour’s public health spokesperson, Carol Mochan, labeled the reforms a “mistake,” echoing broader unease in the party’s Holyrood group. Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defended the cuts, arguing they’d encourage workforce reentry, with added investment in employability services. Starmer doubled down, claiming the current social security system “incentivizes” unemployment, calling it “unfair to taxpayers” and a betrayal of national values.
The cuts will ripple beyond Westminster. In Scotland, where PIP is being replaced by the devolved Adult Disability Payment, the Fraser of Allander Institute estimates a £90m to £115m loss in Treasury funding for every £1bn cut. First Minister John Swinney warned of a “damaging effect” on Scotland’s budget, likening Labour’s policy to Tory austerity. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, while backing reform, insisted changes must be “fair,” denying austerity claims—a stance Mochan’s criticism undermines.
Findlay’s exit after 35 years in the party underscores a deepening rift within Labour, as its left wing recoils at policies seen as punitive. “For my own sanity, dignity, and self-respect,” Findlay wrote, “I can no longer remain a member.” A Scottish Labour spokesperson dismissed his resignation, stating, “Mr. Findlay is a private citizen, he is entitled to his views.” Yet, with internal dissent mounting, Labour’s unity—and electoral prospects—face a precarious future. (Word count: 429)
