Liverpool Riverside MP, Kim Johnson has criticised Keir Starmer’s claims that Britain’s benefit system is “unsustainable, indefensible, and unfair”, claiming that labelling the welfare system as such is “straight from the Tory playbook”.
MP, Kim Johnson has labelled the predicted cuts as ‘deeply concerning’ whilst the Prime Minister insists that the Labour Government is intent on fixing the broken system it inherited from the previous Government.
Backlash from Labour Party members comes after details of £6bn worth of welfare cuts were revealed, with tougher means testing imposed for those receiving disability benefits.
Kim Johnson MP said: “We were promised no return to austerity, yet we are witnessing the same harmful policies that have disproportionately impacted the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.
“These cuts will only deepen the struggles of people already living in precarious conditions.”
Whilst addressing a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party in Westminster yesterday, Starmer insisted that the most vulnerable in society would be protected.
Liverpool is the third most deprived local authority in England, with 63% of residents living in areas ranked among the most deprived in England, and 3 in 10 children living in poverty, according to Liverpool City Region’s Liverpool Health Partners.
Speaking about her constituency, Kim Johnson said: “Across Liverpool Riverside, where many face economic hardships, these changes are not just abstract political moves- they will have real, damaging consequences for people who rely on vital support to make ends meet.”
“Rather than offering solutions, the Government is continuing to scapegoat those who need help the most. We should be fighting for secure jobs and real investment in communities, not more cuts that will leave people further behind.
“Our focus should be on building a sustainable economy that provides opportunities for all, not punishing those already struggling.”
