Southport's Conservative MP Damien Moore has been slammed for helping conceal government analysis of the impact of Universal Credit from the general public.

The Tory politician voted with the government last night to refuse to release the report on the effects of the highly criticised system in the town and across the country. He has been a strong backer of Univeral Credit claiming:

" The Government have purposefully managed a careful and controlled Universal Credit roll-out… Universal Credit is simple and fair and will be effective for the whole country. "

Labour had sought that the impact analysis report was released to the public so that the full picture surrounding Universal Credit could emerge but the Conservatives and allies in the DUP voted it down by 299 to 279.

The Southport MP's decision was attacked by his opponent Liz Savage, Labour's parliamentary candidate for the town:

" It's very strange that such a staunch supporter of Universal Credit is voting to conceal the impact of it from the general public. Damien has claimed it is simple and fair so what exactly has he and the government got to hide? "

" There is nothing to justify hiding these reports from the public. Damien and his colleagues have chosen the coward's way out because Conservative implementation of this system has been shambolic, cruel and unjust. It will be Southport families and residents that suffer as a result. "

Over 2,000 households in Southport have been moved over to Universal Credit, with another 7,110 penciled in for the next stage of rollout.

The Conservative's implementation of the new scheme has been heavily slated with widespread reports of severe hardship being caused by delays in payment running into months, benefit cuts and excessive sanctions. Foodbank use has shot up by 52% in areas where it has been introduced.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey recently called reports of benefit cuts "fake news" but it was quickly revealed that some working families and the disabled could lose as much as £2,400 a year, while those self-employed could lose £3,000. Labour's Shadow Secretary Margaret Greenwood says 3.2 million families face losing £200 a month and the system was "beset with flaws (and) causing immense hardship".

Labour's Southport candidate, Liz Savage, says it's a "craven" decision to hide the facts from the public:

" The Conservatives have underfunded Universal Credit from the start and are imposing severe sanctions on others while they try to hide their hamfisted handling and the overall impact of it from the public. "

" They might want to put the report on a shelf to collect dust but the effects and distress will be all too easy to see in Southport and beyond if the next stage of rollout goes ahead. They are simply penalising hard-working families, the disabled and others. "

" They must listen to us and the likes of The Trussell Trust to stop the rollout and fix and fund the system properly. Damien Moore would do better to stop craven hiding like this from his constituents and start fighting for them. "

Simply disgraceful that they are hiding this from the public.

Conservative or Corbyn think before you vote.

Originally Posted by roving-eye

Labour had sought that the impact analysis report was released to the public so that the full picture surrounding Universal Credit could emerge but the Conservatives and allies in the DUP voted it down by 299 to 279.

The Southport MP's decision was attacked by his opponent Liz Savage, Labour's parliamentary candidate for the town:

Allies? There's only 10 DUP, so that takes it down to 289 to 279, perhaps Labour should have been asking their allies to back them, or does nobody want to back Corbyn......

Why is anyone surprised at this, Tories will do anything and everything to hide the effects of UC, if a policy is so bad that the Tories are so afraid of letting the voting public see the results, then it must be really bad, most of the time the Tory propaganda machine can and will spin bad news away.

Originally Posted by Tentill4

Allies? There's only 10 DUP, so that takes it down to 289 to 279, perhaps Labour should have been asking their allies to back them, or does nobody want to back Corbyn......

Most amusing... nothing on the fact that the Tories are hiding the facts about the impact of Universal Credit from the public... just this pointless comment?!!
BTW if the DUP had voted with the others that would make it more like 289/289... but of course they didn't because £1billion buys at least some loyalty.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Most amusing... nothing on the fact that the Tories are hiding the facts about the impact of Universal Credit from the public... just this pointless comment?!!
BTW if the DUP had voted with the others that would make it more like 289/289... but of course they didn't because £1billion buys at least some loyalty.

Nothing pointless about it at all. If Labour wanted to voted it down, they shouldn't whine, but ask/tell their allies to vote with you, or as mentioned, perhaps they don't have any, as nobody wants JC in charge..

Originally Posted by Tentill4

Nothing pointless about it at all. If Labour wanted to voted it down, they shouldn't whine, but ask/tell their allies to vote with you, or as mentioned, perhaps they don't have any, as nobody wants JC in charge..

Yet again, avoiding the point that the Tories are hiding the impact report... ostrich mentality from you and them. BTW, it was Labour who pushed for it and the Tories and the DUP who voted it down. More to the point, they shouldn't have to push for this... the Govt is simply cowering and deliberately hiding the devastation its shambolic policy is causing.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Yet again, avoiding the point that the Tories are hiding the impact report... ostrich mentality from you and them. BTW, it was Labour who pushed for it and the Tories and the DUP who voted it down. More to the point, they shouldn't have to push for this... the Govt is simply cowering and deliberately hiding the devastation its shambolic policy is causing.

I know this policy is shambolic and if you change the colour of the team from blue to red, it will still be shambolic.
I've worked my whole life, sometimes taking 4 jobs at once to make ends meet, never once going cap in hand to claim any money. I even took a job that was paying less than I could claim, because I didn't want to hold out my hands.
And yet, I've been in houses where they are claiming all sorts of benefits and seen them with the 48" - 55" TV's, smoking, drinking, gaming over the internet on their xbox and it infuriated me, so don't talked to me about ostrich mentality.

I know there are genuine people out there who need help, but there are a hell of a lot more out there you want to sit on the ars*s, claim what they can and moan like fukc when it gets stopped...

+ on a side note, someone should have proof read her article for spelling mistakes and I'm only an old git with "O" levels

he will be kicked ou at the next election. useless.

Originally Posted by Tentill4

I know this policy is shambolic and if you change the colour of the team from blue to red, it will still be shambolic.
I've worked my whole life, sometimes taking 4 jobs at once to make ends meet, never once going cap in hand to claim any money. I even took a job that was paying less than I could claim, because I didn't want to hold out my hands.
And yet, I've been in houses where they are claiming all sorts of benefits and seen them with the 48" - 55" TV's, smoking, drinking, gaming over the internet on their xbox and it infuriated me, so don't talked to me about ostrich mentality.

I know there are genuine people out there who need help, but there are a hell of a lot more out there you want to sit on the ars*s, claim what they can and moan like fukc when it gets stopped...

+ on a side note, someone should have proof read her article for spelling mistakes and I'm only an old git with "O" levels

Ah, the ol' I saw it once or twice so it must be endemic trope. Well, the truth is benefit fraud is actually very low as a percentage of the total... and it is FAR outweighed by tax evasion... don't see you moaning about that though even though it effectively costs the country far more.

As a side note you should try proof reading your comments before making such remarks.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Ah, the ol' I saw it once or twice so it must be endemic trope. Well, the truth is benefit fraud is actually very low as a percentage of the total... and it is FAR outweighed by tax evasion... don't see you moaning about that though even though it effectively costs the country far more.

As a side note you should try proof reading your comments before making such remarks.

I see now, you're deaf in one ear, you only hear all the rhetoric coming from the right.
All parties are; in your words; shambolic, I only wish there was a viable 3rd option.

Difference is, I don't pretend to be able speel and gramer correctly. Old git with only "O" levels here.

Benefit Fraud - £2 Billion
Tax Avoidance - £1.7 billion (Exploiting loopholes)
Tax evasion - £5.2 billion (illegally hiding)
And the best bit, no party has done anything about it (properly) when in office..

Originally Posted by Tentill4

I see now, you're deaf in one ear, you only hear all the rhetoric coming from the right.
All parties are; in your words; shambolic, I only wish there was a viable 3rd option.

Difference is, I don't pretend to be able speel and gramer correctly. Old git with only "O" levels here.

Benefit Fraud - £2 Billion
Tax Avoidance - £1.7 billion (Exploiting loopholes)
Tax evasion - £5.2 billion (illegally hiding)
And the best bit, no party has done anything about it (properly) when in office..

And yet, when Labour is clearly "under new management" and very much proposing to do something about it... all you do is attack them and focus on the relatively small amount of benefit fraud, odd that.

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

And yet, when Labour is clearly "under new management" and very much proposing to do something about it... all you do is attack them and focus on the relatively small amount of benefit fraud, odd that.

I don't attack any party, I merely point out (if I can) the bits that you all conveniently miss out, which you seem very good at.
I never brought up benefit fraud, you did.

HMRC estimates about £34 billion in taxes goes uncollected each year, but not all of it is because of tax evasion and tax avoidance, these two equate to approx 7.1 Billion.

Originally Posted by Tentill4

I don't attack any party, I merely point out (if I can) the bits that you all conveniently miss out, which you seem very good at.
I never brought up benefit fraud, you did.

HMRC estimates about £34 billion in taxes goes uncollected each year, but not all of it is because of tax evasion and tax avoidance, these two equate to approx 7.1 Billion.

You were referring to what you'd apparently seen which smacked rather heavily of just that, I then pointed out that benefit fraud is comparatively very low.. you responded to it subsequently (which certainly seemed to suggest you were talking about it) and only now say, I wasn't talking about that anyway?! It's a bit confusing then but no worries, the internet not the best for clear communication I suppose.

And yup, £34 billion could certainly do a lot to help pay for vital services... mind, given the Tories have cut nearly 1 in 5 HMRC staff too that won't be happening any day soon either I suppose... not until "we" get into no11 as I suspect J Mc will be rather more keen to ensure it does.