SUWN activists raised the cause of welfare at both of the Glasgow YES rallies this weekend, both from the stage and via hundreds of leaflets. And we were able to collect loads of signatures on our petition in response to the Scottish Government’s welfare consultation. If you’ve not yet signed, then you can do it online here.

Meanwhile, here’s a copy of our leaflet:

15% IS NOT ENOUGH
The Scottish Government is consulting on how to change the 15% of welfare that we are getting control of – and we are hopeful that they are listening to complaints about the DWP’s current punitive processes and will try and do things differently. BUT with control over only 15%, and with no powers to change the wider economy, it is limited what they can do. So long as we are ruled by a Tory government in Westminster, wedded to neoliberalism and determined in its attempt to transform the welfare state into a surveillance and control state, our Scottish Government will not be able to protect the interests of the poorest and most vulnerable within our society. That is why welfare has always had a central place in the Independence campaign.
We are fighting not only for an independent Scotland but also for a fairer Scotland. This is not just about running things from Holyrood rather than Westminster, and it is not about whether we are part of the bigger neoliberal club of the EU. It is about the opportunity to run our society better.
In fighting for a fairer society we need to be active at all levels. We fight individual instances of injustice, as we try to do through solidarity and practical support outside the jobcentre; we fight for every improvement we can win, as we try to do through lobbying the Scottish Government to make the best use of the limited powers we have; and we fight for the opportunity to make more fundamental change through independence.
15% is not enough, but – used right – it can make a difference to many people, it can demonstrate that another approach is possible, and it can show what could be achieved if we got control of the other 85%.
So please sign our petition to the Scottish Government to begin the process of better welfare for Scotland.