Jeremy Corbyn blasted Labour’s benefit cuts as a « disgrace » and warned many of the party’s MPs are « very upset ». The former Labour leader said Sir Keir Starmer‘s government had proved to be an « enormous disappointment ».
His intervention comes a week after Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall unveiled plans to slash £5 billion from the welfare bill. The Islington North MP, who sits as an Independent, told Sky News’s Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge programme: « The Labour Party in government is an enormous disappointment.
« I never thought I’d hear the day when a chancellor would get up and say, they’re taking £5billion out of the income of the very poorest disabled people in our society. It is a disgrace. »
He added that Labour was « not really » recognisable from the party that he left, saying: « The policies of the government have changed so much. It is very depressing. »
Mr Corbyn also warned of disquiet on Labour’s backbenchers over the changes.
He said: « They’re very upset because they ran for election on, albeit a very limited manifesto. But that manifesto did not include cuts in benefits. »
Experts estimate that around a million people in England and Wales will lose their disability benefits as part of an overhaul that the Government believes will save more than £5 billion a year by the end of the decade.
An impact assessment is due to be published alongside Chancellor’s Rachel Reeves’s spring statement tomorrow.
Ms Reeves on Sunday told the BBC the benefits bill is « through the roof » and people are « locked out of work ».
She said: « I want to change that and give more people the dignity and pride that comes from work through proper support to get there. »
Source link
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Ukrainian