The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas has criticised the proposed reduction in the government’s welfare benefits cap.
She raised the subject when the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith came to the House of Commons to answer an urgent question on child poverty this morning (Thursday 25 June).
Caroline Lucas said: “When the Secretary of State received the confidential government assessment marked ‘sensitive’, which warned him that reducing the benefit cap could plunge up to 40,000 more children into poverty, did he stop to think about the consequences?
“Or is he sticking to his insulting idea that people want to be on benefits despite the reality that most people want to work but the decently paid work they need simply is not there?”
The Conservative cabinet minister said: “I have never believed that people want to be on benefits.
“I actually believe the vast majority of people on benefits want to do something about that and change their lives.
“Everything I do is about trying to do that. Every policy we have is aimed at getting the economy right and helping people get back into work.”
Not only is it the intention of the Tories to drive more people on benefits to starvation (most of whom are working, but the Tories love turning the working poor against the unemployed, such good sport) but I heard on the radio that the 45% tax rate for the highest paid is to reduce to 40%!
Taking from the mouths of the poorest to put into the pockets of the richest again.
Not everyone ‘on benefits’ is there by choice.
Please do not spread the myth that people are scroungers.