Whenever you hear someone in government say that ‘difficult decisions have to be made’ inevitably the question inevitably arises, difficult for whom? Those making the decisions, or those affected by them? The Labour government’s plan for welfare ‘reforms’ (ie cuts) included making it harder for people to access Personal Independence Payments (PIPs), and cutting the rate of incapacity payments for those unable to work for health reasons.
The true measure of a civilised society surely lies in how it treats its poorer and most vulnerable citizens. PIP is designed to support people who have a long-term physical or mental health disability. Around 20 per cent of them are in work, but are simply unable to earn enough to cover their basic needs. This is yet another legacy of the decades-long failures of previous governments. And while levels of poverty have risen in the UK, the income of the rich has soared as the gap between the wealthy and the poor has widened. Hence the Green Party’s call for a fair tax system.
A backbench rebellion obliged the Government to first offer some concessions, but they still proposed to reduce benefits paid to new claimants – so people with identical needs would have ended up being treated differently. Unacceptably unfair. We await the outcome of the review of the PIP assessment.
On another crucial topic, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Almost half our wildlife has gone, and another 10,000 species of plants, animals and birds are threatened with extinction.
In January the Government cut short the first reading of the Climate & Nature (CAN) Bill before it could be put to a vote, and rescheduled it for 11th July … perhaps hoping there would not be enough time for it to be debated again?
There is a campaign for each of the 650 constituencies in England to send the Prime Minister a personal letter, urging him to give emergency debate time to the Bill and ensure that we have greater action on the climate and nature crisis. I’m pleased to have been asked to post the letter on behalf of North Dorset: the Government’s decision will affect rich and poor alike.
Ken Huggins
North Dorset Green Party
