A BORDERS MSP has caused a storm at Holyrood after attempting to defend the controversial two-child cap on claiming tax credits.

Michelle Ballantyne, who is a former Selkirkshire councillor and leader of the local Conservatives, was defending welfare reforms during the session at the Scottish Parliament yesterday (Wednesday).

Universal Credit was introduced as part of the UK Government's overhaul of the welfare system.

Critics say cuts to payments and widespread problems with its implementation have led to many people falling into hardship or dropping out of the benefit system altogether.

The introduction of the two-child benefit cap, limiting tax credits and Universal Credit to a family's first two children has also been attacked.

And the Tory list MSP's attempt to justify the two-child cap this week was met with anger and disbelief.

Ms Ballantyne told Holyrood: "The two-child limit is about fairness.

"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.

"Universal Credit may have its flaws, but the thinking behind the system is sound.

"It is about making it better to be in work than not to be in work."

MSPs were debating inequality, austerity and poverty when Ms Ballantyne mounted her defence.

Nationalist MSP Tom Arthur described her words as 'one of the most disgraceful speeches I've ever heard'.

He said: "In my two and half years in this parliament, the contribution from Michelle Ballantyne was one of the most disgraceful speeches I have ever heard.

"Six minutes of pompous Victorian moralising, that would have been better suited to the pages of a Dickens novel.

"And to suggest that poverty should be a barrier to a family, that people who are poor are not entitled to any more than two children - what an absolutely disgraceful position."

Ms Ballantyne's words were also met with anger in Westminster today.

Pete Wishart, the SNP's shadow leader of the House of Commons, told Parliament: "We don't want these 19th century, Tory, Victorian values in Scotland.

"There were simply appalling remarks in the Scottish Parliament yesterday when the Conservatives' social security spokesperson, Michelle Ballantyne, said on the two-child benefit cap that 'it is fair that people on benefit cannot have as many children as they like'.

"A comment that has simply appalled and shocked mainstream opinion in Scotland.

The condemnation has come from across party divides.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard describing Ms Ballantyne's words as 'abhorrent, nasty and archaic'.

He added: "The reality is that the Scottish Tories stand behind every blow of austerity and every cruel welfare cut that has been implemented by the UK Tory government - from the bedroom tax to the rape clause.

"These comments should be retracted and Michelle Ballantyne should apologise."