Austerity drive is a political choice affecting vulnerable
UN rapporteur Philip Alston’s hard-hitting report on poverty in the UK provides evidence of what the Labour Party has been saying for a long time.
Firstly, that austerity is not necessary – it is a political choice. Secondly, that this political choice has inflicted misery on people, leaving many destitute, and the burden has fallen disproportionately on those who can least afford it.
Mr Alston reported that women have been particularly hard-hit by austerity and single women with children hit worst of all.
In his briefing to Westminster he went as far as to say: “If you got a group of misogynists in a room and said ‘How can we make a system that works for men but not women?’ they wouldn’t have come up with too many other ideas than what’s in place”.
This is appalling from a government led by a woman Prime Minister.
The report was particularly critical of the impact of Universal Credit. For example, Mr Alston found that the change to single household payments under the new benefits system puts women at greater risk of domestic violence. He put this to the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, and reported that her shameful response was “Well if they’re having problems they should get counselling and if things are really bad, they should leave”.
Mr Alston said: “There is a striking and almost complete disconnect between what I heard from the government and what I consistently heard from many people directly across the country”.
The government’s response to his report proves his point. The new Secretary for Work and Pensions, Amber Rudd, has attacked its tone and language but not engaged with its content. His positive finding is that if there is the political will, poverty can be ended.
For that to happen we need a new government – one that will listen to evidence and one that is genuinely committed to ending austerity and to gender equality.
Helen Fletcher, Women’s Forum, Shrewsbury and Atcham Labour Party
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