Thurrock Labour condemn Jackie Doyle-Price as ‘worse than useless’ over Universal Credit vote
THURROCK Labour has poured scorn on Thurrock’s Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price after she failed to attend a high profile vote on the Government’s flagship Universal Credit scheme.
On Wednesday evening MPs unanimously passed Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn’s motion calling on the Government to pause the planned roll out of Universal Credit across the country. However, in a desperate attempt to save themselves the embarrassment of defeat all but one Conservative MP, including Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price, opted to abstain on the vote.
Universal Credit is the Conservative Government’s new single payment scheme set to replace a number of existing benefits including job seekers allowance, child tax credits, and housing benefit. The scheme began to be rolled out in Thurrock this month and is set to affect over 1000 residents across the borough.
The Labour Party along with many charities has strongly criticised Universal Credit for pushing people into poverty, debt and homelessness. Reductions in support for families with children are expected to push around 200,000 more British children into poverty by 2020/21. In addition, Universal Credit claimants must wait at least 5 weeks before receiving their first payment, which has already forced many people into debt and has even led to evictions as tenants fall into arrears.
Thurrock Labour leader, Councillor Oliver Gerrish, expressed his pride at Labour’s successful motion calling for Universal Credit to be paused and fixed saying “Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely right that this dangerous policy must be paused. We cannot allow Thurrock residents, who are already struggling to get by, to be tipped into poverty and homelessness. Many of those who will be affected are already in full-time work and they cannot afford to wait weeks on end for their payments.
Rounding on Jackie Doyle-Price Cllr Gerrish went on to say “It simply beggars belief that Jackie chose to abstain on the vote to pause Universal Credit. Each week our Conservative MP seems to find more ways to fail the people of Thurrock. The 1000 residents across our borough who face hardship due to Universal Credit must be wondering what Jackie is being paid for.
“By repeatedly failing to represent the interests of Thurrock residents Jackie has proved to be worse than useless as our MP, allowing local people to be ignored and terrible policy after terrible policy to be inflicted unchallenged in Parliament. What is the point of an MP who can’t be bothered to vote on behalf of their constituents?
“While Jackie is failing to be Thurrock’s voice in Parliament, Labour is showing the leadership necessary to put the country back on track.”
Labour is keeping the pressure on the struggling Conservative Government with a public petition which you can sign here https://donation.labour.org.uk/page/s/universal-credit
What really gets to me is you have to wait up to 6 weeks for the first payment. even people who are paid monthly are better off. and I don’t think this is an accident.
I like the fact it drops slowly as you work more hours but I cannot help but think 6 weeks is taking the piss.
MP’s have been bashing the poor for decades what about bankers?
Jackie Doyle-Price is “worse than useless” FULL STOP!
Were the powers that be within the Conservative Government, e.g. the Prime Minister and Jeremy Hunt, being deliberately perverse when they elevated Ms Jaccqueline Doyle-Price to the post of a Junior Minister within the Department of Health, even more so by appointing her as the spokesperson on care for the elderly and the mentally ill? For sheer effrontery I liken her appointment to that of the appointment of Tony Blair as“ a peace envoy” to the Middle East, talk about adding insult to injury. Like Blair, the only person likely to benefit from Ms Doyle-Price’s appointment is Ms Doyle-Price.
Her pronouncements, both pre and post her appointment, have not been sympathetic towards those who rely on payments from the public purse such as pensioners, the disabled, the mentally ill, and those in need of special care in the latter stages of their lives. She says that people should stand on their own two feet and support themselves, not rely on the taxpayer. All this from someone whose substantial wage is paid by the taxpayer, whose expenses are paid by the taxpayer, and who will eventually receive a generous pension, also paid for by the taxpayer.
Her most recent pronouncement that ownership of a house is not an investment to be inherited by ones children but is an asset to be sold off to pay the cost of care in old age demonstrates just how hardnosed she really is. I thought National Insurance payments were intended to provide health care in old age. Like the big bad wolf she will huff and puff until she has blown your house down.
The fact that she “drops into a few stalls” at a public event and says a few complimentary words does not necessarily mean she cares about the welfare of the elderly or the mentally ill, on the contrary, it is probably more about promoting the fortunes of the Conservative Party and enhancing her own political ambitions.
Having said all of this I have to acknowledge that Ms Doyle-Price has been elected at three successive General Elections. What this says about the voters in Thurrock leaves me somewhat baffled. I hope that her success is not due to public support in Thurrock for her views on the care and welfare of the elderly and mentally ill.
Peter another good post.
The fact she has been voted in three times is of little comfort. Hitler was democratically elected as well. So was Thatcher and Saddam Insane.
Us Blind and also mentally ill people, do not want to be on benefits earning £60 to survive on.
We want to contribute as much as we can. what gets to me is companies see us as dead wood and dont want to employ the less efficient. the tories believe in free market economic neo liberalism for business while cutting the support for the less able. while giving Billions each month to bankers and blaiming the financial deficit
on the unemployed, disabled and now also pensioners.
Care to comment JDP?