COLUMN: Back MP over benefit cut rebellion

In the local Labour party’s monthly column for MyTown Media Ltd, Welshpool town councillor, David France (pictured), says that the town is “disproportionately affected” by the Government's move to cut benefits, and has praised our local MP for risking party suspension to oppose the bill.

“As a carer who knows many other carers, this month’s Parliamentary votes on cutting Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) certainly worried me and mine.

Alongside the potential of pushing many disabled people into financial hardship, a great number of us could have lost the much-needed Carer’s Allowance that helps us to help others.

Those proposals would have disproportionately affected Wales. They would have disproportionately affected Welshpool.

Even with the initial reversal from the government meaning that only new applicants would be affected, we still saw this as ultimately unfair because we know first-hand that there is no guarantee that a healthy person today will not become disabled in the future. It can happen to anyone.

Thankfully, those threatened cuts were defeated by Labour MPs like our own Steve Witherden. He received a lot of correspondence from worried constituents, and, crucially, he listened.

He put people first and spoke out against the party line. Whatever you think of the UK Labour Party, I for one am grateful to have an MP not afraid to be a loud voice for Montgomeryshire.

Steve was the first Welsh MP to stand up against the government’s proposed PIP cuts and though it could have meant suspension from the party, he took the hard road and stuck up for his constituents, voting against the Bill at its Second Reading.

Though he could not attend the later vote on UC cuts, as he had to attend a funeral, Steve has been proactive in letting constituents and members know that he would have voted against it if he could.

Many of our Labour group have been, have become, and are, disabled people. We have seen stagnating living standards affect so many of our friends and loved ones - we know that life just costs more if you are disabled.

Research from Scope, the charity for disabled people, shows that disabled households need an extra £1,095 each month just to cope. A quarter of the UK is disabled. We must continue to fight for them.

And fight we will. For our disabled people and for all the people that need us to be the party of compassion, of security, of providing for those who need help and allowing those who can contribute to do so.

As Steve and others proved this month, the Labour Party still has compassion at its heart. I am thankful that whatever happens, Welshpool has a loud voice in Westminster."