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A Scottish Tory MSP tipped as a leadership contender has been blasted for sharing a “callous” and “heartless” message about the poor and the unemployed.

Michelle Ballantyne, a right winger who backs Boris Johnson, circulated comments questioning why the wealthy should pay for people at the bottom of society.

SNP MSP Christine Grahame said: “Michelle Ballantyne has a long track record of outrageous comments - she is completely out of touch with the real lives of people on low incomes.”

Ballantyne was elected to Holyrood in 2016 and is her party’s shadow cabinet secretary for communities and social security.

The mother of six, who has a history of making controversial comments about social security claimants, recently shared a message on Facebook that had been published by someone else.

Amid rising poverty levels in Scotland, the post made five statements:

●You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

●What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

●The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

●You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work, because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation!

●Can you think of a reason for not sharing this? Neither could I.

Ballantyne caused an outcry last year after defending the Tory Government’s two child benefits cap, which critics believe has driven families into poverty.

She said at the time: “It is fair that people on benefit cannot have as many children as they like while people who work and pay their way and don’t claim benefits have to make decisions about the number of children they can have.”

The South of Scotland MSP, who confirmed claiming tax credits in the past, later said: “There’s no such thing as a bedroom tax.”

Scottish Tory moderates fear Ballantyne will be a candidate in the race to succeed Ruth Davidson as leader, and believe her staunchly conservative views would be popular with party members.

(Image: Getty)

Grahame added: “This latest outburst shows a callous indifference to the very real suffering inflicted on people by her own party.

“That Michelle Ballantyne is in the running to lead the Tories speaks volumes. The mask has well and truly slipped, and the party has a duty to address these completely heartless comments.”

Labour MSP Mark Griffin, said: “It is disappointing but not surprising that a Conservative MSP would take this stance on our social security system.

“Like the NHS, our social security safety net should be there for all of us in our time of need, providing security, dignity and the basics in life if we become ill, disabled or fall on hard times.

“A Labour government will change the culture of our social security system from one that demonises people to one that is supportive and enabling.

“It is this elitist attitude, displayed here by Michelle Ballantyne, that creates the poisonous ‘them and us’ mentality that is so detrimental to creating a society where every person is seen as valuable and worthy of the help they may need.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Michelle believes any welfare system has to help those who need it most, and be fair and affordable.”