Calls for Labour MP to stand up to further cuts

Stroud District Council’s deputy leader Pete Kennedy, has hit out at the Labour government after Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that a “painful” budget was coming in October and asked the public to “accept short-term pain for long-term good”.

Cllr Kennedy (Painswick and Upton), who was the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Stroud in July’s General Election, called on newly-elected Labour MP, Simon Opher, to “stand up” to the Prime Minister on behalf of the people of Stroud.

During the election campaign, Cllr Kennedy says he warned that “the Conservative and Labour manifestos commit to further austerity cuts and underinvestment” in Stroud

However, Dr Opher claims Labour was not aware of the appalling financial situation they would inherit from the Conservatives which is even worse than they expected.

Despite this, he believes the new government can rebuild the country and he is looking forward to working with all levels of local government in the Stroud constituency to sort things out and protect the less well off.

Cllr Kennedy said: “People voted for ‘change’ at this election, but Keir Starmer is now taking us back to the Conservative policies of austerity and spending cuts that have so badly damaged public services and people’s livelihoods.

“During the election campaign, I warned at every opportunity that Labour’s manifesto was going to result in more austerity and spending cuts.

“Unfortunately the picture now looks even worse, with Keir Starmer saying there is an additional £20bn ‘black hole’ in the public finances. Stroud is already feeling the impact of Labour’s cuts.

“Thousands of pensioners will be hit with a double whammy of increased energy bills and the scrapping of the Winter Fuel Allowance for all but the poorest pensioners.

“And the ‘Restoring Your Railways Fund’ has been abolished, which means there is no money to reopen a direct rail link from Stroud and Stonehouse to Bristol.

“I’m worried about what else will be announced in the Government’s ‘painful’ budget in October. It’s no good just blaming the Conservatives for crashing the economy. These are political decisions by a Labour Party that refuses to tax those with the broadest shoulders.

“The Green Party continues to call for a wealth tax of 1 per cent of assets above £10m, which would raise tens of billions of pounds.

“Unfortunately Labour have refused to even consider any wealth tax, which means everyone else will pay the price. It’s time for Stroud’s new Labour MP to stand up to Starmer and say this isn’t what people voted for.”

Dr Opher said on day one Labour set about fixing the problems they have inherited from the previous government.

“None of us were under any illusion that Labour would inherit an appalling financial situation from the Conservatives,” he said.

“It now looks as if it is even worse than expected. It’s intractable and we can’t just wish it away.

“The new government set about tackling it from their first day in office, and immediately put in place some fundamental policy changes (onshore wind farms, housing, etc).

“I was surprised about the government’s decision to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance, but there are many better off pensioners who receive the allowance who don’t actually need it.

“When money is tight, means testing is a fairer way of allocating limited funds. But I also know that many are only just about coping, and many who should get pension credit aren’t actually claiming it.

“I am therefore working with Stroud District Council to try and identify all those pensioners who are entitled to pension credit but who don’t yet claim it.

“One constituent suggested that we extend pension credits to include pensioners living in social housing and those with houses in council tax bands A-D. I think this is a good idea and will take it back to the government.

“I have also talked to Darren Jones MP, the chief secretary to the treasury, about protecting those pensioners who are just above the pension credit threshold who will miss out on the winter fuel allowance. We discussed raising the threshold as a way of supporting this group.

“The reason I went into politics was because of the gross inequalities in this country. While I am personally supportive of wealth taxes, they are difficult to administer and can have unintended consequences.

“In Norway for example, the richest people simply took their wealth and went to Switzerland when wealth taxes were introduced. They are not a straightforward panacea.

“The Prime Minister has said that the government will do what it can to protect most taxpayers by ruling out any changes to income tax, national insurance and value added tax.

“While I do not know what the budget contains, I hope that any tax rises will be limited to those who are best able to pay them.

“Despite the mess we have been left to sort out, I believe that we can and will rebuild this country, the NHS and all our public services.

“The worst situations often lead to innovative and creative solutions, and in Stroud we are nothing if not innovative and creative.

“I look forward to working with everyone at all levels of local government to sort things out, protect the less well off, and begin to turn things around.”