Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South has welcomed plans to enshrine the right to an adequate standard of living into the constitution of an independent Scotland, to ensure everyone has rights based upon human dignity.
The plans to include the right to an adequate standard of living into the constitution of an independent Scotland were included in the fourth Building A New Scotland paper from the Scottish Government, which outlines the opportunities of Scottish Independence.
Writing the right to an adequate standard of living into the constitution would include the rights to adequate food, clothing and housing and the continuous improvement of living conditions. This could override any laws which were incompatible with these rights, including on subjects that were previously reserved to Westminster.
Commenting, Tom Arthur MSP said:
“With the ongoing Tory cost of living crisis wreaking untold damage on people’s livelihoods, it has never been more important for the right to an adequate standard of living to be enshrined into constitution – which is what we can achieve with the powers of independence.
“Scotland had borne the brunt of decades of austerity measures imposed by Tory government it has not voted for in recent history. What little they give out in terms of welfare; they claw back just as quickly with the other hand.
“It’s time for us to build a Scotland where our rights are based on human dignity, compassion and equality, so that everyone living here can have an adequate standard of living without fear of going hungry or homeless; it’s time for independence.”