Shadow Chancellor George Osborne arrived in Glasgow East yesterday to welcome the government�s planned benefit reforms with the incendiary observation that they marked a �victory for the centre-right in British politics�.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne arrived in Glasgow East yesterday to welcome the government's planned benefit reforms with the incendiary observation that they marked a "victory for the centre-right in British politics".

He said the ideas in the green paper were taken directly from Tory policy papers of just a few months ago, adding: "We regard today as a victory for the centre-right in British politics. The welfare policies will mean that in places like Glasgow East people who have been condemned to a life on benefits will get a chance to get into work and make something more of their lives."

Labour candidate Margaret Curran described the proposal from James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, as "ambitious" and denied they would damage the final days of her by-election campaign. "It is an ambitious programme, there's a lot in it, and I think it has to go through its proper process," she said.

"But I think we should be prepared to face the challenges. We have always said we need to tackle unemployment, we need to tackle people who have been left to languish on benefits by the Tories in the past.

"We want to create opportunities and skills for people, and this is what we are doing."

She was backed by Scotland Office Minister David Cairns, who said the proposals would be welcomed in Glasgow East and beyond, adding: "We know the vast majority of people when they go on to incapacity benefit fully intend to come off it again.

"They will also be welcomed by the vast majority of taxpayers who are funding this system."

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon demanded to know whether Glasgow would be a pilot area for the reforms, while the party's work and pensions spokesman at Westminster, Angus MacNeil, said: "The government's proposals seem more like a heavy hand to save money rather than a helping hand, and Gordon Brown needs to say whether Glasgow is going to be used a pilot area for these proposals.

"It is not unreasonable to ask what the UK Government's intentions are in advance of Thursday's poll.

"Of course people who can work must be given help and encouragement to return to the work force. The focus should be to get people into work, rather than just getting them off benefits."

For the Liberal Democrats, deputy leader Vince Cable said in Glasgow that "some of the ideas were sensible, some less so," adding that there should be no coercion off benefits of the disabled and mentally ill.

"The idea that the government is going to use a big stick isn't going to go down well here," he said.