Gerald Jones
MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare · Labour · United Kingdom
“The Plaid Cymru Welsh Government marked their first 100 days in office last week with little fanfare—their achievements to date seem to be setting up Committees and commissioning reports, rather than focusing on the needs of the people of Wales.”
“Many of my constituents want tougher action against the criminals who hide behind businesses such as rogue barber shops, vape shops and mini-marts, which are a blight on many high streets in my constituency.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and the work he is doing to bring this issue to a resolution. A growing number of my constituents are affected. The response from Capita has been appalling, and correspondence is taking weeks or indeed months to get through.”
“I very much welcome this defence investment plan and the confidence it shows in the workers on the Ajax programme at General Dynamics in Merthyr Tydfil. I thank Ministers for their engagement with me, with General Dynamics and with the workforce.”
“Illegal offroad bikes cause regular and unnecessary nuisance to residents across Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, and other parts of the country. South Wales police are constantly trying to deal with residents’ concerns, but the situation persists and is widespread.”
“Even before the current conflict in the middle east, fuel suppliers in the Merthyr Tydfil part of my constituency were charging an average of 10p per litre more than those in other parts of my constituency and neighbouring towns.”
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“However, I recognise, as we have heard today, that that is not the case for everyone and there is still intolerance and ignorance in society, both in this country and in many other countries around the world, as I will come back to later. But there is much to celebrate. This weekend, Wales’s biggest Pride event, Pride Cymru, takes place in Cardiff, and I wish everyone attending a very happy Pride. We all know that Pride Month is a great opportunity to reflect on the hard-won rights of the LGBT+ community. We in the Labour party know that our movement has delivered monumental change for the LGBT+ community time and again. As anyone who has seen the amazing and inspirational film “Pride” will know, Labour’s 1985 party conference voted for a resolution committing the party to lesbian and gay rights.”
“I remember thinking, “Would they vote for me if they knew?” At that point, I had not talked about my sexuality openly. Possibly, I was too scared to mention it, because society was very different in the ’80s and ’90s, as we have already heard. There was very little in the way of advocacy or support for LGBTQ+ people, and certainly not in geographically isolated communities in the south Wales valleys, as well as lots of other communities in all parts of the country. We have, of course, made much progress. There is much more awareness and support available for people, particularly young people, and it is no longer a taboo subject for most people.”
“I am delighted to speak in this debate to mark Pride Month. As the years pass, we could be forgiven for thinking that the need to hold an annual Pride debate could be diminishing, as we should be making huge progress. We should live in a world of equality in the truest sense of the world, and of tolerance and respect. Sadly, that is not the world in which we live in 2023. Next year marks 30 years since I became an elected representative. I was co-opted as a community councillor in autumn 1994, and then stood for election as a county borough councillor in May 1995. I remember a feeling of elation mixed with trepidation, but as a 24-year-old gay man growing up in a tightly knit Welsh valley, I also remember the fear, as no one knew my sexuality.”
“As fuel poverty runs rampant and families right across Wales are struggling, does the Secretary of State not realise how appalling it looks that Shell is making £61,000 a minute? When will his Government get a grip, close the loopholes worth billions and extend the windfall tax?”
“Tory Ministers seem to think that the energy crisis is all over. I am not sure when the Secretary of State last struggled to pay an energy bill, but bills are still almost double what they were before the crisis began, and the Tory Government have scrapped vital support. Does the Secretary of State agree that the way to get energy bills down for good is to back Labour’s policy to retrofit 19 million homes and reach 100% clean power by 2030?”
“Food banks in my constituency and across the country are struggling to deal with demand. More than 40% of people using them are in work, and they are used by one in six children whose families receive universal credit. Meanwhile, the local housing allowance remains frozen and the five-week wait for universal credit is increasing debt. All those factors contributed to the reason why one of the food banks in my constituency nearly closed its doors last week, namely that it had no food to give out. Can the Minister tell me what else the Government will do to support families? It seems that there is very little understanding of the scale of the problem that the country is facing, let alone a willingness to do something about it.”
“DP World, the shamed parent company of P&O Ferries, saw its profits soar to £1.5 billion last year and paid out a massive dividend after sacking 786 seafarers and replacing them with cheaper agency crew. The P&O workforce now face 60 more redundancies. When will this compromised Government start working with trade unions such as the RMT and prioritise the jobs and rights of seafarers and port workers in the UK over the merciless profiteering of DP World? Or does it just prove that it pays to exploit workers in Conservative Britain?”
“Private rental costs in Wales increased by 4.2% in the year to February 2023, the highest annual percentage change since the Tories came to power. The Government have accepted the need to uplift benefits in line with inflation, but they have completely failed to accept that the same principles should, at the very least, apply to the local housing allowance. Given that rent is the largest item of a family’s budget, can the Minister explain exactly why this is one area of policy where the Government do not seem to believe that inflation exists?”
“As the country looks forward to the coronation, and given the focus on volunteering with the Big Help Out on 8 May, may I ask the Leader of the House to join me in congratulating the team at Treharris Boys & Girls Club, who will celebrate their centenary in a few days’ time? Treharris is reportedly the oldest boys’ and girls’ club in Wales, and the passion and commitment of its volunteers has made it a huge asset to the community for generations. May we therefore have a debate in Government time on volunteering and its contribution to our community life?”
“The vast majority of reserves held by most local authorities tend to be committed reserves, rather than reserves that they can use freely. Many do use free reserves to plug the gap, and there is more of that at the moment. My hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley also mentioned that the Welsh Government were cut out of the process around the shared prosperity fund, something that many colleagues have called out and said should be rectified. It is not right that the Welsh Government are cut out of discussions of such a significant investment in Welsh communities.”
“Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts) about the level of local housing allowance being far too low to meet housing needs across Wales, the hon. Member continued to talk about the Budget being overwhelmingly positive. That is definitely a matter of opinion, and not one shared by many of my constituents or others. My hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Beth Winter) talked about the reality check of work on the cost of living crisis that was carried out last year, and about the need for fair wages for our public sector workers. In an intervention, the right hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Stephen Crabb) talked about the use of local authority reserves. As an ex-local councillor of 20 years, I think people often do not differentiate between free reserves and committed reserves.”
“She also talked about the downgrading of growth, and highlighted the case of her constituent Dawn Jones. I am sure many others across Wales will relate to the concerns raised by her constituents and their experience in dealing with the Tory cost of living crisis. My hon. Friend the Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David) raised the excellent report of the Bevan Foundation, and the evidence that the most vulnerable are affected by this Government’s policies. My hon. Friend the Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock) highlighted the importance of the steel industry, its being the heart of economic growth. The hon. Member for Ynys Môn (Virginia Crosbie) picked highlights; in response to an intervention by the right hon.”
“The Chancellor announced that Wales would receive an additional £178 million over the next two years, as a result of spending decisions made in England, but the settlement in 2023-24 is still up to £900 million lower in real terms than expected at the time of the 2021 spending review. This was meant to be a Budget for growth but, while the London School of Economics Growth Commission, the OECD and others have highlighted the vital importance of additional public investment in the infrastructure to improve productivity and growth, the Budget contained a derisory £1 million extra in capital funding in 2024-25 for Wales. We have had a wide-ranging debate. My hon. Friend the Member for Newport West rightly highlighted the UK Treasury’s callous clawback, which I will return to later.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones) on securing the debate, and the passionate way she opened it. We can all agree that, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer presented his Budget, it was an opportunity to address the worsening impacts of the cost of living crisis, and to drive economic growth in Wales and across the United Kingdom. The Budget is also a statement of priorities, but it was clear from the lack of extra funding for our public services, as well as the bare minimum of additional support for people and businesses who need help now, that the UK Government do not have a grip on the bigger picture and are content to tinker around the edges.”
“For the Welsh Government to deliver further on behalf of the people of Wales we need a strong partnership between the Welsh Government and a UK Labour Government, working together to deliver on the priorities of the people of Wales and ensuring that Wales has a strong part to play in a strong United Kingdom. To that end, the general election cannot come soon enough.”
“The UK Government hold many levers relating to energy costs, and there must be greater support for businesses—particularly energy-intensive industries—and charities. Sadly, the Chancellor’s spring Budget misses the big picture, lacks ambition and fails to demonstrate how he intends to grow the economy. The Welsh Government settlement in 2023-24 is, as I have said, still £900 million lower in real terms than expected at the time of the 2021 spending review. This was meant to be a Budget for growth, but the derisory £1 million in capital funding for Wales shows that the UK Government really have no interest in building their way out of the current financial crisis.”
“Labour is committed to bringing power closer to communities, and therefore believes that we should work in partnership with the Welsh Government to deliver structural funds in the future. A UK Labour Government would restore Wales’s role as decision maker and budget holder for the relevant structural funds. We would work with Wales to set the UK policy agenda and the use of structural funds, allocate money and agree a robust evaluation process. The 2023-24 Welsh Government budget has been one of the toughest since devolution because of the significant financial pressures caused by the UK Government’s mismanagement of the UK economy, made worse by the kamikaze mini-Budget last September.”
“The effect of that decision is that the Tories have failed to provide an equivalent replacement regime to EU structural funds. They have centralised decision making, cut funds and allocated the remaining resources inefficiently. As a number of Members said, universities in Wales have been at the forefront of innovative ideas that could change the way we live, thanks to £370 million of EU structural funds that have been invested in university-led projects in Wales. The structural funding from the EU is suddenly coming to an end, so Wales is at a cliff edge. Welsh universities face the loss of 1,000 skilled jobs from 60 projects focused on generating green growth. Hopefully, the Minister will enlighten us about what the Government intend to do to prevent that.”
“Labour believes in the importance of bringing power closer to communities. The Government’s replacement for EU structural funds has been a disaster that has left the poorest communities in Wales empty handed due to unfair formulas, and the distribution of funds is in the hands of Departments that are not even trusted by the Treasury. Labour is committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to set the policy agenda for the use of structural funds. When we were part of the EU, Wales was in receipt of EU structural funds that contributed to a number of programmes, in particular on regional development and employment. The shared prosperity fund was announced in 2017, partly to replace the EU structural funds, but, as we have heard, the governance was changed to cut out the Welsh Government from that process.”
“The Welsh Finance Minister has made it clear that the actions of the UK Treasury were wholly unacceptable, as the Welsh Government stayed within their overall budget. The UK Government refused to switch between the revenue and capital budgets—a process that, as the Minister knows, has been agreed many times before. It is all the more questionable given that Welsh Government underspends during the exceptional financial year 2020-21 were significantly below those of UK Departments. The Treasury’s arbitrary application of its guidance in this instance remains deeply regrettable, and has left Wales deprived of £155 million. As of last month, only £392 million of the levelling-up fund—just 8% of the total—had been spent since November 2020. Many of the projects that have been promised to local communities are a long way from being delivered.”
“Through grown-up politics, hard work and negotiation, the Welsh Labour Government convinced the UK Government to deliver a better deal for Wales, which means that UK Ministers will provide at least £26 million of non-repayable starter funding for any freeport established in Wales. The Tories tried to rip off Wales and ride roughshod over the devolution settlement, but Labour in Wales stood up for Welsh communities and businesses. Welsh Tories in Cardiff and Westminster did not fight for them. I raised the callous clawback from the Welsh Government with the Minister yesterday, and my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West, the right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and the hon. Member for Ceredigion spoke about it today. I hope the Minister shares our concerns.”
“Member for Ynys Môn mentioned the Holyhead breakwater. The Holyhead port is one of most important economic drivers in north Wales. The £20 million funding for the breakwater in the Budget follows Welsh Government calls and underlines the importance of the port. The announcement is welcome but long overdue, and the proposal is viable only because of Welsh Government commitments. Hon. Members also raised freeports. Wales has a better deal on freeports thanks to the Welsh Labour Government, given that the Tory Government proposals were for freeports in Wales with no extra funding, and there was a threat to impose a freeport from the centre without involving the Welsh Government.”
“Is it not the case that Tory MPs looked at the state of the nation after 13 years of Tory Governments, and at the cost of living crisis that families are facing, and chose not to vote with Labour against the pension changes, but to benefit those with the biggest pension pots? The Welsh Labour Government have put in place a range of measures to help people through the Tory cost of living crisis. The Welsh Government fuel support scheme extends to 400,000 homes, with eligible households receiving a £200 payment to help them pay their energy bills. The council tax reduction scheme helps more than 270,000 households in Wales with their council tax bills; around 220,000 households pay nothing at all. More than 300 warm hubs have been set up across Wales thanks to Welsh Government funding. The hon.”
“The Tory mortgage penalty has hit £1,950 for a typical household remortgage, thanks to the Tories crashing our economy with their kamikaze Budget last September. The OBR revealed that the Government have left £10.4 billion on the table last year and this through holes in the windfall tax. Labour announced a form of windfall tax on oil and gas producers in January 2022. The Government announced an ineffective windfall tax in May 2022. Just think what that £10.4 billion left on the table could have made to the lives of people in Wales, and across the UK, supporting them against rising energy costs and other cost pressures.”
“The reality of the Chancellor’s Budget is that it represents sticking-plaster politics, with no growth for the many. The OBR has confirmed that the hit to living standards and working people’s pay over the past two years is the largest since comparable records began. In fact, the only permanent tax cut in the Budget, as we have heard, was the £1 billion cut for the richest 1% of earners, via changes to pension allowances. The Resolution Foundation found that a high earner with a £2 million pension pot will get a tax cut of almost £250,000. How utterly unfair, yet it is probably not a surprise, coming from this Government. Compared with the forecast in 2021, the OBR now thinks the average interest rates on outstanding mortgages will be twice as high.”
“Earlier this month, the Senedd passed the Welsh Government’s budget for 2023-24, which provides significant investment for the NHS, social care and schools. The Welsh Government will, of course, consider how best to use the small amount of additional funding announced by the Chancellor to meet the needs and priorities of Welsh people. Ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor was asked to provide support for households, to increase funding for public services and to invest to grow the economy. While it is positive that he listened to the many calls to maintain the energy price guarantee at £2,500 from April, it is disappointing that he refused to take the other practical actions that were called for—measures that could have made a real difference to those most exposed to the cost of living crisis.”
“Member for Ceredigion (Ben Lake) highlighted the energy companies and the call for early renegotiation of contracts, which could significantly help many people across the country who are dealing with rising energy costs. He raised specific concerns about off-grid customers and the need for an economic strategy. My hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Christina Rees) joined other Members in raising concerns about the local housing allowance rates in her constituency. All the evidence suggests that, across Wales, the rate is woefully inadequate. Change has been called for many times, and the Government would do well to listen to the concerns raised by the Bevan Foundation and address the issue. My hon. Friend also highlighted her concerns about universal credit and the rising use of food banks.”
“I absolutely agree. The arrangements with local government about the timescales for the funding have been woeful. Given everything that local authorities have to contend with at the moment, it is unfair to expect them to meet the unrealistic timescales set. My hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley also talked, like other Members, about the local housing allowance rates. I will return to that later. The hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Jonathan Edwards) talked about the OBR analysis of the woeful spring Budget, and the impact of rising inflation. He raised concerns about the universal tax cut through the pension allowance benefiting the wealthiest 1%, and about plans for investment zones. The hon.”
“The Minister mentioned the shared prosperity fund, which is significant investment that could transform communities across Wales. He also highlighted the positive joint working of the Welsh and UK Governments on freeports. Why does he think that the UK Government have frozen out the Welsh Government in the case of the shared prosperity fund, when there is an example of good working together? Why can that not apply across the board?”
“The Budget was the Tories’ chance to use their financial levers and capacity to provide comprehensive and meaningful support, as well as to invest in public services, public sector pay and economic growth.”
“The Tories have overridden the Sewel convention on several occasions in recent years, disrespecting the devolution settlement. Tory attacks on Wales and on Welsh Labour are born from desperation. They are fiddling while Rome burns in order to deflect attention from the shambles at Westminster, their failure to tackle the cost of living crisis effectively and their mismanagement of the economy. Historic underfunding of Wales has torn billions of pounds out of the Welsh budget, while the Tory-made economic crisis has only brought greater costs. The spring Budget makes no provision for public sector pay and includes no funding for health or social care.”
“The vast majority of people are supportive; they can see the benefits and the evidence of what devolution has delivered for Wales under the stewardship of Welsh Labour. The Labour party is the party of devolution. The UK Tory Government have no respect for devolution or devolved Government, and have taken every opportunity to undermine the devolution settlement. Devolution is one of the proudest achievements of the last Labour Government. Unlike the Tories, a UK Labour Government would respect devolution and the Sewel convention. In a report by the commission on the UK’s future, led by the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Labour proposes ways of modernising and updating our constitutional arrangements, improving the process of intergovernmental relations and putting more power in people’s hands.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Delyn (Rob Roberts) on securing the debate, and I associate myself with his condolences to First Minister Mark Drakeford and his family. It is a shame that the hon. Member has used the debate as an opportunity to talk down devolution. It seems he has done so to score political points, which is such a shame. His view is also at odds with the views of the vast majority of the people of Wales. A large number of surveys on devolution have consistently confirmed that people across Wales support devolution and, in some cases, the devolution of further powers. Those who support rolling back devolution or, at the other extreme, independence, are very much polarised on the margins.”
“We spend 14% more per person on health and social care in Wales than in England. While 13 years of Tory Government have been ruining and running our public services into the ground, we have been taking difficult decisions to provide a higher level of NHS funding per head in Wales, where we know the population is older, sicker and less well off. The NHS is facing similar challenges across the UK, yet performance at major accident and emergency departments has been better in Wales than in England for the last five months. Waiting lists are growing faster in England than in Wales. In the six months to December 2022, waiting lists increased 0.4% in Wales and by 6% in England.”
“Yet again the Conservatives have fallen woefully short, failing the people of Wales. We know the Tories promised Wales would not be a penny worse off, with EU regeneration funds replaced in full, but that is far from the case, with huge uncertainty over the shared prosperity fund leaving Wales worse off, while the scandal of levelling up for Wales has meant a Tory smash-and-grab, wrapped up in a sustained attack on devolution, instead of collaborative work with the Welsh Government and local authorities in Wales. In his opening speech, the hon. Member focused on health, so let me inform him about some of the things the Welsh Government are doing across Wales and the difference a Labour Welsh Government have made. They will always invest to protect health and social care.”
“To work even more effectively, devolution needs a strong partnership between the Welsh Government and a United Kingdom Labour Government, working together to deliver the priorities of the people of Wales and ensuring that Wales has a strong part to play in a strong United Kingdom. I hope we will not have too long to wait for that, depending on when the Prime Minister calls the next general election.”
“The next Labour Government will return power over its economic destiny to Wales, and the decision-making role for the Welsh Government on structural funds will be restored. There is a number of examples of businesses in Wales receiving more support during the recent pandemic. Vaccination rates were higher, and delivery in Wales was consistently faster than in England. PPE procurement was transparent and cost-effective, in stark contrast to the experience at Westminster under the Tories. Welsh Labour’s trusted decision making protected lives and livelihoods, which was without doubt reflected in Welsh Labour’s historic 2021 Senedd election victory.”
“Prescriptions are free in Wales, but people in England are being forced to go without medication they desperately need because they can no longer afford it. The NHS bursary was axed in England in 2016, but has been protected in Wales because of Labour’s values. In England, the 40% drop in student nurse applications over subsequent years has been widely attributed to the axing of the bursary. In transport, despite having 5% of the UK population, 11% of track miles and 20% of level crossings, Wales receives only between 1% and 2% of rail enhancement funding. That is not a fair funding settlement. The reality is that only Labour will devolve economic power and control out of Westminster.”
“I think the hon. Gentleman has said quite enough for now. In the last 12 months, waiting lists have increased by 7% in Wales and by 19% in England. With the industrial action taking place, Welsh Labour Ministers have got around the table with trade unions, taking tough decisions to find whatever resources they can to negotiate a resolution to the current pay dispute. There is not enough money in the budget for a fully consolidated pay offer, but the Tories have not provided an adequate level of funding for years. Welsh Labour is training more doctors and nurses year on year. As my hon. Friend the Member for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith) said, Welsh Labour has implemented the real living wage for social care workers, and has ensured that prescriptions and hospital parking are free, and care charges capped.”
“On the point about collaboration with the Welsh Government, does the Minister think the way the UK Government clawed back funding from the Welsh Government is unacceptable? My understanding is that issues around switching between revenue and capital have been agreed many times before. The level of underspend is significantly below that of some other UK Departments. Does he agree that was a pretty poor show by the UK Government?”
“Rising food price inflation is terrifying for many families, none more so than those who are already struggling with the cost of living crisis. I speak to numerous families in my constituency who are having to use food banks although in many cases both partners are in full-time employment. That is truly shocking, and such an indictment of Tory Britain in 2023. The Government are clearly not doing enough, so may I ask the Minister what more they can do to help manufacturers and suppliers to bring costs down and make food more affordable once again?”
“As the order has been developed with the Welsh Government, and makes technical amendments that result in a coherent, democratically controlled mechanism that operates regionally, we do not oppose it.”
“The changes will resolve key operational issues that CJCs have raised, and allow them to plan with confidence for future financial years. Section 150 supports the delivery of the commitment in the Welsh Government’s programme for government to ensure that each region in Wales has effective and democratically accountable means of developing its economy. The Welsh Government have established CJCs to support and encourage regional working through a coherent, consistent, simplified and democratically controlled mechanism. CJCs will allow partners to deliver their regional ambitions, develop successful regional economies, and ensure local growth in a collaborative and strategic way.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. As the Minister has outlined, the order allows for technical amendments. The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 provided for the establishment of corporate joint committees, which enable and support the delivery of important local government functions regionally. A small number of outstanding technical issues emerged during implementation of the CJCs, including in relation to taxation status and pensions. When issues arising from Senedd legislation require amendment of UK-wide legislation in a way that is beyond the Senedd’s legislative competence, an order under section 150—“Power to make consequential provision”—of the Government of Wales Act 2006 can be developed in partnership with the Government in Westminster.”
“The Good Friday agreement is undoubtedly one of the proudest moments of the last Labour Government, and the Labour party is proud of its part in it and of the work of Tony Blair, Mo Mowlam and many others. Strand 2, on the North South Ministerial Council, is often overlooked, so can I ask the Minister whether, as we move forward with the Windsor framework, the bodies involved will have an important role to play in improving prosperity in Northern Ireland, and how he sees that developing?”
“So the next general election simply cannot come soon enough.”
“These did not happen by accident; they happened because the people of Britain voted for a Labour Government, and those Labour Governments made eradicating child poverty a key priority, in stark contrast to what we have now. I am also proud that the Welsh Labour Government are continuing to tackle child poverty in Wales through Flying Start, free school breakfasts, free school lunches, the pupil deprivation grant, Jobs Growth Wales and, of course, the groundbreaking Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The Senedd is using the tools available to help mitigate child poverty in Wales, but to tackle child poverty in Wales and right across the UK we desperately need a UK Labour Government to get our economy back on track and give tackling child poverty the attention it so needs and deserves.”
“What song will not be written, what flourishing business will not be founded, what classroom will miss out on a teacher who can awaken aspiration?” At Prime Minister’s questions recently, I highlighted the 800,000 children taken out of poverty by Labour Governments between 1997 and 2010, and contrasted that with the half a million children plunged into poverty since the Tories took office 13 long years ago. When I gave the Prime Minister the chance to apologise for his party’s failure, he could have jumped at the chance, but instead he gave us bluff and bluster. Compare this with the last Labour Government, who delivered Sure Start, record funding for schools, tax credits, increasing child benefit, child trust funds and introducing the UK’s first ever national minimum wage.”
“The Government have taken a number of policies from the Labour party, so why not take this one? Put a proper windfall tax in place to ease the burden on families in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney and across the UK who are suffering under crippling energy costs. In my limited time, I want to highlight that this Budget will do very little to tackle child poverty. For the past 13 years, we have seen how the Conservatives have cut, cut and cut, and finally crashed our economy with a kamikaze Budget in September 2022. As Gordon Brown once said: “Child poverty is the scar that demeans Britain. When we allow just one life to be degraded or derailed by early poverty, it represents a cost that can never be fully counted. What difference could that child have made?”
“Friend the shadow Chancellor has announced that Labour will reverse the changes to tax-free pension allowances. As has been said often this afternoon, this is the wrong priority, at the wrong time, for the wrong people. The OBR tells us that the Government still have £10.4 billion left on the table from the windfall tax last year and this year. We also know that plans for a windfall tax on oil and tax producers were announced by the Labour party in January 2022, while the Government announced their policy in May of the same year. A plan to cap energy bills was announced by Labour in August, and adopted by the Tories on 8 September. The Conservatives announced Budget plans recently to scrap extra charges for those on prepayment energy meters, but Labour first called for that in August 2022.”