Alex Salmond "not living in the real world" over universal benefits Alex Salmond was today accused of not "living in the real world" over his defence of Scotland's system of universal benefits. Johann Lamont says First Minister "thinks everything is free" Labour leader under fire for using "language of the Tory party 20 years ago" Labour leader Johann Lamont has called for a debate on the affordability of benefits like free bus passes and free tuition fees. Labour was accused of using the language of the Tory party from "20 years ago" by Mr Salmond during First Ministers Questions today. Ms Lamont told MSPs she understood why the First Minister thought "everything is free." She said: "He's on £130,000 a year, he spends almost two grand a week on hospitality, then gets the taxpayer to spend £1300 a year for a TV package to watch the films and sport events - which he then gets them to pay for him to attend. The First Minister does not live in the real world. He lives in a world where it's fine to spend £400,000 to rent out a gentlemen's club in Pall Mall, but doesn't worry about the care worker who's had their wages cut by £4,000 a year. He's not an economist, he's a fantasist. The Labour leader has set up a review into Scotland's benefits system, including free prescription charges, free personal care and the council tax freeze. It will be led by public finance expert Professor Arthur Midwinter. Cuts But it has already been dubbed the "cuts commission" by the SNP and Mr Salmond said today it was coming at a time when the Scottish Budget is facing massive pressure from Westminster cuts. "The solution to that fact cannot be abandoning concessionary fares, or free prescriptions or free personal care or re-introducing tuition fees or abandoning the council tax freeze," the First Minister said. How are the working families of Scotland going to be benefited by adopting the polices that the Tory party adopted south of the border? "I think Johann Lamont was deeply wrong to talk about a `something for nothing" society. That's exactly the language of the Tory party 20 years ago. The First Minister said Labour had been in favour of all these benefits when the three spending plans were set out by the Government last year. "Indeed they were trying to outbid the SNP on these vital parts of social progress," he added. So the question that Johann Lamont has to answer is how all of a sudden has she had this conversion not just to the gains introduced by this Government, but the gains of having a parliament for Scotland.