PM Keir Starmer faced a backlash from his own MP during today’s PMQs over the rumoured welfare cuts,
Richard Burgon told the PM to make the ‘moral’ choice. He told the Commons disabled people are “frightened” as he urged Sir Keir to introduce a wealth tax instead of “making the poor and vulnerable pay”.
Mr Burgon the Leeds East MP, said: “Disabled people in my constituency are frightened and they’re frightened because they’re again hearing politicians use the language of tough choices, and they know, from bitter experience, when politicians talk about tough choices it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay.
“So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, wouldn’t the moral thing to do, the courageous thing to do, be to make a real tough choice and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?
Sir Keir pledged to “protect those who need protecting”, but later added there isn’t a “bottomless pit”.
Broken
Starmer said: “The party opposite left a broken welfare system, which locks millions out of work, that is indefensible, in my view, economically and morally. Of course, we need to support people who need support, we need to help those who want to work to get back into work, and I think there’s a moral imperative in that.
“He talks about a wealth tax, we have raised money – the energy profits levy, taxing non-doms, and air passenger duty on private jets. But this isn’t a bottomless pit, and we must kick-start growth to get the economic stability that we need.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Prime Minister has rightly spoken about the need to get more people into work, and he repeated that now, so people have more dignity, we can get the economy going, and we can cut the benefits bill after the disgraceful legacy left by the Conservatives.
“But does the Prime Minister recognise that for many disabled people the best way to help them into work is to support them properly, with more special equipment, with training, with better healthcare and so on. And will he also today calm anxieties that he himself has raised for many of us that the disability benefits for people who simply cannot work will not be cut?”
Before the weekly session, he wrote on X: “My team will put out the video of my PMQs soon – but I am extremely alarmed the PM dodged my question about cutting disabled people’s benefits. Very worrying.”
Damaged
It comes as General Secretary Paul Nowak warned: “A major lesson from the Tory years is that austerity damaged the nation’s health. We must not make the same mistake again. Pushing disabled people into hardship with cuts to support will only make the current challenges worse – and will not win public support.”
While he said trade unions share minister’s hopes to improve the nation’s health, he went on: “Cutting PIP is not the solution – not least because it enables many disabled people to access work so that they do not have to rely on out of work benefits.”
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One person replied:”Thanks to Richard. He’s a hero in a time of cowardly,capitalist lackies.”
Related: Campaigners slam disability benefit changes – does this comment chime with you?
