Speaking to Good Morning Scotland, the Scottish Labour leader confirmed his party would abstain on the Budget vote.
He said the only way his party would vote for the Budget is if the Scottish Government “stop pretending that this Budget contains and ending of the two-child benefit cap”.
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The SNP Government said it would abolish the two-child benefit cap for families in Scotland in the Budget announcement last month, in a move which would lift 15,000 children out of poverty.
However, the SNP have said they need to work with the UK Government, who have the data needed, in order to scrap the benefit from 2025/26.
Sarwar said: “If they put the ending of the two-child benefit cap into this Budget and lift it on April 1, we will vote for the Budget.”
When approached by The National for a response to Sarwar’s claims, Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville hit back at the Scottish Labour’s leader suggestion that it was “pretending” the Budget contained an end to the two-child cap.
Explaining how the process would work, she told The National: “The 2025/26 Budget commits to spending £3 million to develop the systems needed to deliver mitigation of the two-child cap, which could lift an estimated 15,000 children out of poverty in Scotland.
“The detailed work of building the system and developing legislation to do that will start with this Budget, however implementation requires, not just the co-operation of the UK Government, but also legislation.
“Officials from both governments have met to discuss and I am seeking a ministerial meeting so this vital policy can be progressed as a priority.
“We are ready to work as hard as possible in 2025 so that we can start paying families as early as possible in 2026, we need the UK Government to do the same.”
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Scottish Labour MPs previously voted against scrapping the cap at a vote in Westminster last year, in a move which was met with fierce criticism.
The news comes on the same day that it was revealed mitigating the two-child benefit cap will cost £155 million in the first year, according to the Scottish Fiscal Commission.
Scotland’s Finance Secretary Shona Robison (below) commented: “Only a few months ago, Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour MPs were queuing up to keep the two-child cap in place – yet now he agrees it should be mitigated in Scotland as soon as possible.
(Image: PA)
“Mr Sarwar has said that Scotland needs change – but he seems to have reflected over the holidays and decided that it is he who needs to change.
“However, people in Scotland will never forgive the Labour party if it does not vote for the reintroduction of a Winter Fuel Payment and the ending of the two-child cap.
“Labour have gone from calling for a new direction to seemingly having no direction.”
Throwing in the towel
The Scottish Greens meanwhile have accused Sarwar of “throwing in the towel” on the Budget.
The party have said that Scottish Labour made no attempts to negotiate with the Scottish Government to improve the spending package.
MSP Ross Greer (below) said: “The Scottish Greens have spent months negotiating to improve this Budget, to increase action on the climate emergency and to lift more children out of poverty.
“In contrast, Labour MSPs have thrown in the towel without even trying to secure any improvements.
“Green MSPs will continue to engage with the Scottish Government to make the Budget as progressive as possible.
“We are building on a strong record of previous Green achievements, including free bus travel for young people, free school meals for all P4 & P5 pupils and establishing Scotland’s first Nature Restoration Fund.
“More can still be done to tackle child poverty in particular, which is why we have called for the SNP to accept Green proposals to provide more children with free school meals and to cap the price of a bus ticket at £2.”