‘Tax credit cuts will bring back poverty’

During the General Election campaign, each of the political parties would keep track of the votes and comments of their opponents. I would appear on the TV or radio, or in the local paper, criticising the votes and speeches of my Tory opponent on a regular basis.

We did this to highlight those issues which we considered wrong and to offer a political alternative. But, to be honest, there was also a case of political point scoring and an attempt to get “air time” – it was an election after all.

Since my election loss in Bristol North West in May I’ve gone back to work and readjusted to my normal day-to-day life again without the daily briefings or press releases or attacks on my opponent.

I still campaign on the issues that I care about and I’m still involved with Labour Party matters, both in Bristol and nationally, but at a much lesser pace.

Because of that I haven’t been publically critical of all of the actions of my previous opponent (who, of course, won the election). That is until today.

The Tory Government has decided to cut working family tax credits. They claim they want a low welfare, high wage economy. I couldn’t agree more. My colleague Owen Smith MP (now the Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) said the same thing last night on BBC’s Newsnight.

The only problem is the lack of high wages for many working families across the country. The re-branding of the national minimum wage into a “living wage” is a sham.

It isn’t a living wage (which is based on the actual cost of living) and the current living wage factors in the benefit of working tax credits. Following George Osborne’s cuts to working family tax credits his “living wage” will be even less of a living wage.

In Bristol North West alone – a mere quarter of the Bristol parliamentary constituencies – it is estimated that over 8,000 children rely on working family tax credits.

Cutting an average of over £1,000 a year from an already tight family budget will push many of these children into poverty. There will be children going to school hungry. Children living in cold homes too expensive to heat. Children aware of the stress and difficulties that family poverty brings, even when mum and dad are going out to work. This isn’t necessary, it’s a political choice. How anyone can make that political choice is beyond me.

The basis of my involvement in politics comes from my experiences growing up in Lawrence Weston in the 1980s and 1990s. My parents were in work, but in the days before the national minimum wage they weren’t given the dignity of decent pay for a decent day’s work.

I remember the hunger, the cold and the stress of living in poverty. And I remember what a difference the national minimum wage and working family tax credits made to our lives. It breaks my heart to see our Government unwinding all of that progress.

If George Osborne really believes in a low welfare, high wage economy he should commit to a proper living wage and implement it before making cuts to working family tax credits.

And if Charlotte Leslie is true to her word about being an independent minded Tory MP I hope she votes against her Government and votes to stand up for those 8,000 kids in Bristol North West who face more hardship under her political leadership.

Darren Jones was Labour’s prospective Member of Parliament for Bristol North West at the 2015 General Election