28 March 2025
I spoke in favour of the Water (Private Member's) Bill at its first reading and shared views of North East Hertfordshire constituents relating to rising water bills. You can watch the full speech below.
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Friday 28 March 2025 I believe we need a welfare state that supports everyone in times of need, protects the most vulnerable, and upholds equality and dignity
for all.
People with disabilities are already more likely to face destitution, and my constituents are genuinely frightened that the Government’s proposed disability benefit cuts will result in greater hardship and misery.
The Government’s own impact assessment has shown these measures will force 250,000 people into poverty – including 50,000 children. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has attributed this figure to “sleight of hand” and suggested the real number is closer to 400,000.
The proposed changes could see certain households lose up to £10,000 a year on top of the cost-of-living pressures already impacting North East Hertfordshire families. This is morally wrong, and totally unacceptable. The Chancellor’s 11th hour decision to pile on further cuts has laid bare the purpose of this proposal. There is no moral case for these changes - the Government could implement positive measures to support people into work without imposing austerity measures.
These cuts are a crude measure designed to meet self-imposed fiscal rules– balancing the books on the backs of the vulnerable.
I understand the Government must raise funds to support public services given the state of the economy we have inherited, but the Chancellor has other options.
There are a range of levers which can be pulled to raise funds – the Tories always chose those that hammered ordinary families. We must act differently.
I urge the Government to ask those with the broadest shoulders to bear more of the burden, as the Prime Minister has said previously.
If the Government chooses to bring such harmful disability benefit cuts to Parliament, I will not vote to make my constituents poorer.
I will vote against these proposals.
I intervened in the Westminster Hall debate on the e-petition relating to compensation for women affected by state pension changes
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