Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
A report from the Resolution Foundation has estimated Tory plans to reduce universal credit by £20 will see the incomes of many families fall by more than four percent and drive up real poverty from 21% to 23% by 2024/25.
The move would also push a further 820,000 children into poverty.
Mr Stevenson has now called on the Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross to ensure both he and his colleagues vote against the plans to reduce universal credit by £20.
It comes as the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) labour market survey, published in December, revealed redundancies hit a record high of 370,000, while the UK unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent - with over
819,000 fewer people in employment in November than February.
“The Tory plan to cut Universal Credit for millions of families is cruel, indefensible and comes at the worst possible time - in the middle of an economic crisis and global pandemic.
“Many families in the north-east will be financially worse off as a result of these plans with many children facing being forced into poverty as a result.
"Douglas Ross must order his six Scottish Tory MPs to vote with the SNP for a permanent increase to Universal Credit and legacy benefits - and back our calls for the devolution of financial, welfare and employment powers to protect families in Scotland.
"While the SNP government has led the way in tackling poverty, with new benefits like the Scottish Child Payment, Westminster has taken money away from families and increased poverty with a decade of Tory cuts.
"Scotland shouldn't have to wait for Westminster to act. The only way to secure a strong, fair and equal recovery is for Scotland to become an independent country - with the full powers needed to build a fairer society."
“Many families in the north-east will be financially worse off as a result of these plans with many children facing being forced into poverty as a result.
"Douglas Ross must order his six Scottish Tory MPs to vote with the SNP for a permanent increase to Universal Credit and legacy benefits - and back our calls for the devolution of financial, welfare and employment powers to protect families in Scotland.
"While the SNP government has led the way in tackling poverty, with new benefits like the Scottish Child Payment, Westminster has taken money away from families and increased poverty with a decade of Tory cuts.
"Scotland shouldn't have to wait for Westminster to act. The only way to secure a strong, fair and equal recovery is for Scotland to become an independent country - with the full powers needed to build a fairer society."
