MP says Tories have a good record at supporting those in need
Given the ongoing discussions over whether benefits should rise in April 2023 with the increase in inflation or earnings, John said,
“Given the ongoing discussion, the Government is aware I believe benefits should continue to rise with inflation rather than earnings. It is important that the Conservatives do not abandon the mantle of ‘One Nationism’ as we must ensure that all share in our growing prosperity. Furthermore, the potential savings will probably turn out to be fairly minor and not worth all the political heat in this conversation.”
“It should not be forgotten that the Government has a good record at supporting those in need. During the pandemic it provided a package of around £400 billion to support people, jobs and businesses, and Universal Credit in particular was a great success. Cost of Living Payments are already supporting eight million low-income households, and the energy price schemes are also helping to keep costs down for households and businesses across the country.”
“Meanwhile, if the Government is looking to cut spending, there is no shortage of other ways it could go about it. A good start would be cracking down on benefit fraud, which would probably save billions. Cancelling HS2, even at this stage, would still save tens of billions. The Taxpayers’ Alliance also estimates that there are significant savings to be found amongst the hundreds of billions spent on quangos each year.”
