PLAID MPs OPPOSE ‘CRUEL AND COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE’ WELFARE REFORM AS LLANELLI’S MP ABSTAINS…

Plaid Cymru MPs have voted on Monday (20th July) against the Second Reading of the Work and Welfare Reform Bill that will introduce many of the welfare reforms announced in the Chancellor’s recent Budget.

Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Cymru’s social protection spokesperson, branded the Tory proposals “cruel and counter-productive”, arguing that they would consign large swathes of the next generation to poverty and punish many families who are already in work.

The majority of the Labour Party MPs, including Llanelli’s MP Nia Griffith abstained. Therefore, the ‘Tory’ Welfare Reform Bill clearly showed that it will only be Plaid Cymru and the SNP who will provide the real opposition to this Tory Government in Westminster.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Williams said:

“This evening, Plaid Cymru MPs voted against the Tory government’s proposals to slash the welfare budget by punishing the worst-off in society.

“These cruel and counter-productive measures will condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and punish families who have done the right thing and have moved back to work.

“We need a system that pays a fair wage for a fair day’s work and a top-up when the government’s minimum wage policy fails to provide an adequate, decent living for families with children.

“The government though are squeezing money out of the poor to pay for their own mistakes and those of the previous Labour government, and to pay off for the greed, criminality and incompetence of bankers.

“Plaid Cymru wants to see the introduction of a genuine living wage – not the cynical rebranding exercise carried out by the Chancellor in his Budget – in order to secure a pay rise for 250,000 Welsh workers.

“We also support rent caps that would bring down the housing benefit bill and stop rogue landlords from exploiting vulnerable tenants.

“What we saw this evening was Labour making quite safe its reputation as the abstaining party. For all its bluster in criticising the Tories, the majority of Labour MPs couldn’t find the courage to stand shoulder to shoulder with those with the most to lose.

“Plaid Cymru MPs’ purpose at Westminster is to protect the interests of the people of Wales. Tonight many back home will be wondering what exactly is the purpose of the Labour Party.”