Economist and activist Faiza Shaheen has slammed the Labour Party for their planned cuts to the welfare budget, and has called for a tax on the “ultra rich” instead.
On Thursday, Shaheen was appearing on the Question Time panel when the question “how do we ensure genuine claimants are not disadvantaged by welfare cuts?” was asked.
This was in reference to the news this week that Keir Starmer’s government is set to slash the welfare budget in order to save between £5-6bn.
These reforms include plans to cut the level of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which are made to people who have long-term physical or mental health conditions.
Many of those who receive PIP payments are already in work and critics argue these payments provide vital support which enables them to stay in employment.
But Shaheen – who stood as an independent candidate at last year’s election after she was dropped by Labour – said she found the language being used by the government as “upsetting and shocking,” saying there is “always money for war, but not for the poor.
She told the Question Time audience how her mum had struggled under Tory cuts because she had heart failure and how “heartbreaking” this was.
Shaheen continued: “Underlying this [the cuts], and I’m so upset and shocked to see this come from a Labour government, is an idea that somehow people that are struggling, people that are on benefits, are all cheating – that’s just not the case.
“That’s the implication for always going for this group of people, and honestly there are so many better ideas to raise money, more money.
“The ultra-rich in this country have got so much richer in recent years, even during Covid – especially during Covid! Even if we just took a small percentage of those with over £10m in wealth, which is something most of us couldn’t imagine, and put a two per cent tax on that, that could raise £24bn a year.”
Her words sparked applause from the audience, before she then explained to Fiona Bruce how such a tax could work in the UK, compared to other nations where wealth taxes haven’t been so successful.
The full details of the welfare cuts will be laid out in the Spring Statement, while Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will give a major speech next week on the plans and publish a “Green Paper”.
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