STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

MSPs voted to condemn the tax credits rape clause at Holyrood.

Following a heated debate where SNP, Labour, LibDem and Green MSPs branded the Tories shameful and criticised the policy as inhumane they voted to call for the two child cap and rape clause exemption to be scrapped by the UK Government.

Nicola Sturgeon led the debate stating the Equality and Human Rights Commission said could lead to “re-traumatisation” of rape victims.

The First Minister, branded the policy “disgraceful and repugnant”.

She said: “No woman anywhere should have to prove that she has been raped in order to get tax credits for her child.

“I actually can’t believe that in 2017 I am having to stand up in the Scottish Parliament and make that argument.

“This policy isn’t just immoral, although it definitely is, it is also unworkable in practice.”

Kezia Dugdale, Labour leader read out a letter from a woman who had given birth after she was raped who said “There is no way I could complete that awful form of shame, no matter what the consequences.”

Ms Dugdale said: “It’s not the author of that letter, or any other rape victim, who should feel shame. It is those on the Tory benches here and in Westminster who refuse to act who should feel shame.”

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP said: “It’s time to reverse this policy and to end the deeply damaging cuts to the incomes of women and children.”

Ruth Davidson, the Conservative leader, said that women did not need to fill out a form and could instead tell a third party professional and they would do the rest.

She said she supported the two child cap, which she said was necessary to reduce welfare spending and the exemption for a third child born after rape.

However she said she wanted to monitor how it was applied.

Ms Davidson was told that was not true and women had to make a series of declarations on the form.

Many MSPs in the chamber had a copy of the form on which a woman has to sign and declare she had been raped and that she was not living with the child father to qualify for the exemption.

Ms Davidson repeated her view that Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister can if she chooses, use welfare powers of the Scottish Parliament to provide tax credits to more than two children per family in Scotland.

She said: “If she chooses strong words but chooses not to act, that would indeed be shameful.”