Opposition Day — Halt Further Spending and Welfare Cuts and Investigation Impact of Austerity Measures — 11 Feb 2014 at 18:49

The majority of MPs voted in favour of further spending and welfare cuts and against establishing a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the impact of the Government’s austerity measures on the incidence of poverty and inequality.

The text of the rejected motion stated:

• That this House
• notes that the United Kingdom is one of the most unequal states in the OECD, ranked 28 out of 34 countries for income inequality and the fourth most unequal country in the developed world according to some analyses;
• further notes that low and middle income families have borne the brunt of the Government’s austerity measures; further notes that the Government has plans to cut a further £60 billion in public spending over the next four years;
• further notes that successive governments of all political hues have presided over an underlying trend of rising income inequality since the early 1980s;
• recognises that men have consistently higher employment rates than women and that women are more likely to work in lower paid, low-skilled occupations;
• further notes the growing numbers of workers on minimum wage and zero-hours contracts, and that there are more people now in working poverty than out of work poverty;
• further notes with concern the sharp rise in the number of people relying on foodbanks across the UK, including significant numbers of people in work; and
• calls on the Government to halt its further spending and welfare cuts and to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the impact of the Government’s austerity measures on the incidence of poverty and inequality.

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• [1] Business Today: Chamber for the House of Commons Chamber on Tuesday 11 February 2014

Debate in Parliament | Source |