A sitting Labour MP – though possibly not for much longer - has launched a petition against his own party’s benefits cuts.
Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds east since 2015 and a shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn, started the petition four days ago on the change.org platform. It calls for the Green Paper benefits cuts to be axed and replaced by a wealth tax. It reads:
This petition, demanding a Wealth Tax instead of devastating cuts to disability support, will be presented in the House of Commons before any votes on welfare cuts.
We oppose the Government’s plan to balance the books by targeting disabled people and the most disadvantaged in our society.
Slashing disability benefits instead of taxing extreme wealth is a political choice—and it is the wrong choice.
Instead, we believe that the very wealthiest should be made to pay their fair share.
A 2% Wealth Tax on assets over £10 million could raise up to £24 billion per year. That’s far more than the £5 billion the Government claims it will “save” by cutting key financial support for disabled people.
We call on the Government to abandon these cruel cuts and, instead of punishing the poorest, to implement a Wealth tax on the very wealthiest.
By this morning it had gathered 18,000 signatures.
You can sign Richard Burgon’s petition against benefits cuts here
