Plaid leader criticises Robert Buckland for saying he believes it is ‘right’ to make cuts
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has today, 19 October, criticised the Secretary of State for Wales, Robert Buckland, for saying he believes it is “right” to make cuts to public sector budgets.
On 2 October, during the Conservative Party Conference, Mr Buckland said it was “right to look to see whether more efficiencies can be made” in public spending.
Ms Saville Roberts pointed to new research by Glasgow University and the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, which shows that 335,000 excess deaths in Great Britain in recent years can be attributed to spending cuts to public services and benefits introduced by a UK government pursuing austerity policies.
She asked: “how many excess deaths is he prepared to justify this time?”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “The Secretary of State is on record saying he believes it is ‘right’ to make cuts to public spending – and that was before last week’s multiple U-turns.
“According to the Glasgow Centre for Population Health, the last Tory austerity experiment led to 335,000 excess deaths.
“How many excess deaths is he prepared to justify this time around?”
The Secretary of State criticised Ms Saville Roberts for “hyperbole”, an accusation which Ms Saville Roberts rejected.
‘Cruel Tory policies’
Speaking after the session, Ms Saville Roberts added: “Wales never voted for Tory austerity policies the first time round, and the Government have zero mandate for a second round of destruction.
“People have paid for cruel Tory policies with their lives. For the Secretary of State to brush this off as ‘hyperbole’ is an insult to families across the UK.
“We need an urgent acknowledgement by the UK Government that our public services have already been gutted beyond description. It’s time Wales demands the fiscal powers to chart a more prosperous path for our economy.”
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Perhaps Buckland could start by cutting MPs wages, their pensions and expenses and then cut the house of lords completely. It’s ridiculous that an OAP gets approx. £180 to survive for 7 days and an already rich lord gets £320 per day to sleep.
It should be clear to all that the Tories are uncaring self centered careerists and that Labour are just another gang of self-serving, weaklings in waiting.
When will the people of Wales wake up and realise what is going on! Time and time again we vote in elections against our own interest – we voted for Brexit and we accept a Tory government in Westminster (which as Liz states we have never voted for in the last 100 years). It is time we took a long look in the mirror and realise we are collectively dysfunctional and irrational – why else would we want to inflict Tory party policies onto ourselves? For the sake of future generations living in Wales we need to bite the bullet… Read more »
Liz should be soundly cheered for speaking her considerate mind, and Buckland should shut his rich Tory gob NOW. When Wales comes to her senses, declares independence and kicks the arrogant and pig-greedy Tories out, it will be a joyous and happy day!
I look forward to seeing LSR as the first PM of independent Cymru. Her and president Sheen will do a great job leading the ACTUAL sunlit uplands of our beautiful nation.