A Liverpool MP has called for a debate into potential job centre closures including one that could impact the city and hundreds of jobs.
Earlier this year, Kim Johnson MP, Labour member for Liverpool Riverside, revealed she had received a letter from the now-former employment minister Mims Davies confirming that the Department of Work of Pensions (DWP) was moving to close Toxteth job centre and centralising its services at a city centre location. Around 200 jobs will be moved at the branch on High Park Street and St John’s Market locations when they close in March 2023.
An emergency meeting was called at Toxteth Town Hall by PCS Union officials in a bid to fight the closure. Ms Johnson used a debate on the business of the house in Parliament to call on the Government to debate alternative options.
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She said: “The Public and Commercial Services Union is opposing the closure of Toxteth jobcentre in my constituency, along with other centres nationally, and challenging the proposed 91,000 job cuts across the wider civil service and the attacks on pay terms and conditions across Government Departments. Will the Leader of the House grant an urgent debate in Government time so that we can scrutinise the Government’s plans to negotiate with PCS to avoid jobcentre closures and attacks on pay and conditions?”
Responding, Leader of the House Mark Spencer MP, who was not among the 59 resignations this week, said the government had a duty to act in its financial interests. He said: “The hon. Lady is perfectly at liberty to apply for a Westminster Hall or Adjournment debate on that matter.
“It is worth recognising that there is huge global inflationary pressure and we as a Government must act responsibly with fiscal responsibility to ensure that we do not add to that inflationary pressure. That will require some pay restraint across the country.”
This was met with short shrift by Ms Johnson on Twitter who said: “The Tories must stop their naval gazing and finger pointing and get round the table. PCS Union have my full solidarity in their fight to defend jobs, pay and conditions.”
A spokesperson for the DWP said previously of the centre closures: “We are making use of a lease break to move Liverpool Toxteth Hyde Park House JCP staff and services to a better office just over a mile away to improve services for claimants and have a better working environment for staff – no jobs losses are expected as a result.”
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