A SCOTTISH Labour MP has broken ranks and criticised the UK Government for its planned cuts to welfare – warning they will push people “into deeper poverty”.
Katrina Murray, the MP for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch, issued a statement on social media raising concerns about Labour’s changes to disability and health benefits.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall had laid out plans to change the personal independence payment (PIP) – the main benefit which helps in-work and unemployed people afford the extra costs of living with a disability – in a bid to save £5 billion per year.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves then used her Spring Statement to outline extended cuts to PIP and the health element of Universal Credit after independent estimates said the initial plans would not save the projected £5bn.
It came despite an impact assessment from Labour’s Department for Work and Pensions which said the cuts would push 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into poverty. It also estimated that the average PIP claimant would be £4500 worse off per year.
A host of Labour MPs – including Scottish Labour’s Brian Leishman as well as Jon Trickett, Kim Johnson, Ian Byrne, Richard Burgon, Rachael Maskell, Nadia Whittome, and others south of the Border – have said they will vote against the cuts.
Murray did not go quite as far, but made clear her opposition to the changes.
She said: “First and foremost, I became an MP to stand up for those who are too often overlooked, to listen to the voices of all constituents, and to rebuild trust with those who have felt their views and experiences have not been heard or valued in the past.
“For many, particularly those who rely on the welfare system, the reforms proposed by the Government raise serious concerns. I have deep worries about how these changes will affect children, disabled people, and the most vulnerable members of our community across Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch.”
She went on: “I, along with several of my colleagues, believe that, in its current form, the green paper could lead to far-reaching consequences that harm many people in our constituency.
“If implemented as currently proposed, it is likely that a large number of our community members will be pushed into deeper poverty, rather than being empowered to improve their circumstances.
“I entered politics because I wanted to make the lives of the most vulnerable in society better, and to fight for the reforms we need while ensuring that those who rely on the welfare system the most are protected, not left behind.
“I want to see a system that genuinely supports individuals in need, providing them with the tools, opportunities, and protections they need to thrive, not one that causes further hardship or uncertainty.”
The UK Government is expected to put its proposed disability benefit cuts to a vote in the Commons in May.
Keir Starmer’s Labour majority is likely to be large enough to see them pass, but there will be a rebellion.
