A Labour MP has warned that the government’s proposed £6 billion in welfare cuts feel like “a rerun of austerity” – and he’s not alone in his concerns.
MP slams £6 billion welfare cuts
Neil Duncan-Jordan, the Labour MP for Poole, has hit out at reported plans to slash around £6 billion from the benefits bill, including cuts to disability support.
“Cuts to benefits don’t create jobs – they just create more poverty,” he told BBC Newsnight. “That’s why I’m very worried about some of the things I’m reading.”
‘Feels like a rerun of austerity’
Duncan-Jordan compared the proposed cuts to the austerity era under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition after 2010. Back then, George Osborne’s plan to reduce the national debt involved severe spending cuts and tax rises – and it left deep scars.
“If we’re going to make poor people poorer, then there’ll be a number of MPs who won’t be able to sign up to that,” Duncan-Jordan warned.
He suggested that instead of targeting the most vulnerable, ministers should raise revenue from wealthy corporations and individuals.
Labour MPs uneasy over cuts
Duncan-Jordan’s criticism reflects growing discomfort among Labour MPs over the scale of the proposed cuts. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is under pressure to balance the books, and work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall is expected to outline the details of the welfare reforms in the coming days.
Starmer defends the cuts
Prime minister Keir Starmer, however, defended the government’s plans on Monday evening. He argued that the current welfare system discourages people from working.
“One in eight young people aren’t in education, employment or training,” he told Labour MPs. “That’s a wasted generation.”
Starmer added: “The people who really need that safety net aren’t always getting the dignity they deserve. That’s unsustainable, indefensible and unfair. It runs contrary to deep British values – that if you can work, you should.”
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