Diane Abbott opposes the plans to cut welfare (Image: Getty)
Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott has become the latest voice to blast the government’s plans to cut welfare as the party descends into civil war. Speaking on the Today Programme this morning, Ms Abbott rejected claims that Britain is over-diagnosing mental health problems and condemned claims that some are choosing to live a life on benefits instead of working.
The former front bencher defended young people refusing to work because of supposed mental health problems, despite numbers sky rocketing in recent years. Ms Abbott said: “My father was a shoot metal worker. He was very proud of his job and he was very proud of the fact that he had all these apprentices. You know, years ago, there was a direct route from school to employment.
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"That doesn't exist. If you're not gonna get a degree, what are you to do? And yet, a lot of these young people suffer from severe depression, yes, many of them could do jobs, but what sort of jobs and what sort of employers?
READ MORE: Wes Streeting confronted by Kuenssberg with bombshell video proving huge u-turn
“A lot of employers don't want to employ people who suffer from chronic depression and mental illness.”
She blasted: “I have no sympathy with the idea that the way to get people out of welfare is to cut the money they have to live on. I have no sympathy with the idea that it's a lifestyle choice.”
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Asked what she would do to fund Britain’s booming benefits bill, Ms Abbott argued in favour of a wealth tax, something many economists argue would not work.
The Mother of the Commons argued: “I would introduce the wealth tax. If you brought in a wealth tax of just 2% on people with assets of over ￡10m, that would raise ￡24bn a year.”
Asked if that might have other undesirable economic effects she admitted: “Well, I don’t know.”
Yesterday it was reported that the Prime Minister is considering a humiliating U-turn on cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for those with physical and mental disabilities.
Rachel Reeves had initially earmarked up to ￡6 billion of savings from the welfare budget to help balance the books at her forthcoming Spring Statement.
However pushback from both MPs and cabinet ministers is now forcing a rethink.
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Keir Starmer may be forced to U-turn after Labour backlash (Image: Getty)
This morning former shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said he was “pleased” by reports the government is considering a partial U-turn on freezing PIP, but insisted a rise in young people suffering from mental health problems is down to cuts made by the previous Conservative government.
Mr McDonnell told Sky News: “What we should’t do ever is attack the poorest and the weakest in our society. They should be protected.”
“I don’t think this is a budget that should incur cuts like this… what seems to have happened is that the heavy hand of the Treasury has hit the department hard and I think will cause more problems than in will save in the long term.”
He insisted he is not part of a rebellion, but is hoping that the government will listen to the arguments from his wing of the party.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting refused to rule out a change of policy, however he insisted that the cost of benefits for those out of work is too high.
Mr Streeting said: “We’ve now got one in eight young people in this country out of work. 1,000 people every day are signing on to personal independent payments, over the course of a year that’s the size of the city of Manchester.
“We’ve got to make sure this system delivers for those that need it most and is sustainable for the long term, and provides the right kind of support for the different kinds of needs that exist within that group.”
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John McDonnell said he is 'pleased' that the government is listening to opposition (Image: Sky News)
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The top minister also said Britain is over-diagnosing mental health problems, as critics of the current system claim many are accessing welfare cash for manageable emotions like anxiety.
Asked about the rumoured U-turn, Mr Streeting insisted he hasn’t seen the proposals.
Labour grandee Andy Burnham called on the government to focus on overhauling the benefits system rather than making cuts.
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The Manchester mayor told Times Radio: “I'm certainly in favour of an overhaul of the system because it doesn't work, but I would say to the government, focus on that rather than cutting benefit rates.
“The system really doesn't work because when people interact with it, it often leaves them feeling worse about themselves than before they went in. Nobody likes the ‘computer says no’ [Department for Work and Pensions] system.”
Several Labour MPs have now said they would not support plans to freeze PIP or change eligibility rules.