UK Government accused of failing Welsh households whilst protecting the rich

Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens MP has accused the UK Government of continuing to fail Welsh households whilst protecting the super wealthy.

The Cardiff Central MP made the comments during Wales Questions, in the House of Commons today (19 April).

Ms Stevens said “inflation is still over 10%” and figures published today by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that, “food prices have risen at their fastest rate for 45 years.”

Ms Stevens asked the Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies MP, how does he expect Welsh households “to afford even the basic household essentials when those have increased by over 25% this year?”

Mr TC Davies blamed Covid and the war in Ukraine for spiralling prices.

He said: “We’ve had a financial problem as a result of having to spend £400 billion during the covid pandemic and inflation caused by the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

Mr Davies claimed that the Tory UK Government continues, “to support the most vulnerable in society.”

Ms Stevens responded: “If Cabinet Ministers can’t get a grip on the basics like (inflation) no wonder the economy is in such a mess.”

She went on to accuse the UK Government of “protecting and rewarding the super wealthy (and) refusing to abolish nom-dom status and giving a huge pension bung to the top 1%”

Tax status

Nom-dom is a description of someone’s tax status and is an issue that divides Tory and labour MPs in Westminster.

Non-dom is short for a non-domiciled individual and the term is used for a UK resident whose permanent home, or domicile, is outside the UK.

Last year the news broke that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s multi-millionaire wife, Akshata Murty who is a citizen of India, has non-dom status.

This allows her to avoid paying UK tax on any money she has made outside of the UK.