Agenda item

(time limit 15 minutes).

Councillor Jabbar to MOVE and Councillor Fielding to SECOND:

This Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few. This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this is despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed, the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill.

This Council resolves:

·       To instruct the Chief Executive to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing this council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and that an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.

·       To ask our three Members of Parliament to campaign against the bill during its passage through both Houses of Parliament and to reasonably amend or vote against the bill, encouraging other parliamentary colleagues to do the same.

The Mayor informed the meeting that there was one item of Outstanding Business from the last Council meeting.

Councillor Jabbar MOVED and Councillor Fielding SECONDED:

“This Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few. This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this is despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed, the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill.

This Council resolves:

·       To instruct the Chief Executive to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing this council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and that an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.

·       To ask our three Members of Parliament to campaign against the bill during its passage through both Houses of Parliament and to reasonably amend or vote against the bill, encouraging other parliamentary colleagues to do the same”.

AMENDMENT

Councillor Harkness MOVED and Councillor Sykes SECONDED:

“Insert two new paragraphs after the fourth sentence which ends “to name a few”:

“The Government plans to reduce tax credits for three million employees on low pay. This represents a direct attack on everyday workers who go out to work come rain or shine to provide for their families, and this will dishearten them when we should be giving them a helping hand.
Everyone sensible knows we need to balance the books but this should be not be done on the backs of the working poor - especially at a time George Osborne is handing tax breaks to millionaires”.

Motion as Amended to read:

The Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few.

The Government plans to reduce tax credits for three million employees on low pay. This represents a direct attack on everyday workers who go out to work come rain or shine to provide for their families, and this will dishearten them when we should be giving them a helping hand.
Everyone sensible knows we need to balance the books but this should be not be done on the backs of the working poor - especially at a time George Osborne is handing tax breaks to millionaires.
This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill.

This Council resolves:

·       To instruct the Chief Executive to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing the council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and that an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.

·       To ask our three Members of Parliament, particularly the new member for Ashton-under-Lyne, to campaign against the bill during its passage through both Houses of Parliament and to reasonably amend or vote against the bill, encouraging other parliamentary colleagues to do the same”.

A vote was taken on the AMENDMENT, which was CARRIED unanimously.

AMENDMENT 2

Councillor Sykes MOVED and Councillor Harkness SECONDED:

“Insert in Line 2 after ‘Commons’: comma “aided by the abstention in the vote of the majority of Labour MPs, including one of Oldham’s MPs who represents Failsworth.”

Insert in Line 14 after ‘Parliament’: comma “particularly the new member for Ashton-under-Lyne” comma.

Motion as Amended to read:

The Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons, aided by the abstention in the vote of the majority of Labour MPs, including one of Oldham’s MPs who represents Failsworth.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few. This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill.

This Council resolves:

·       To instruct the Chief Executive to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing the council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and that an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.

·       To ask our three Members of Parliament, particularly the new member for Ashton-under-Lyne, to campaign against the bill during its passage through both Houses of Parliament and to reasonably amend or vote against the bill, encouraging other parliamentary colleagues to do the same”.

A vote was taken on the AMENDMENT, which was LOST.

A vote was then taken on the MOTION (as amended).

“The Council notes the passing of this Tory Government’s Welfare Bill in the House of Commons.

The bill will cut away another £12 Billion from the welfare budget, hitting the most vulnerable in our society the hardest, the poor, the jobless, the sick to name a few.

The Government plans to reduce tax credits for three million employees on low pay. This represents a direct attack on everyday workers who go out to work come rain or shine to provide for their families, and this will dishearten them when we should be giving them a helping hand.
Everyone sensible knows we need to balance the books but this should be not be done on the backs of the working poor - especially at a time George Osborne is handing tax breaks to millionaires.
This Tory Government seems to be hell bent on attacking towns like Oldham in its cuts to Local Government funding, and now it is taking aim at families who can’t make ends meet.

This bill moves to cut tax credits and housing benefit, measures which we believe will lead to increases in child poverty, this despite the Conservatives pledging the opposite in their manifesto – a promise not kept.

Indeed the House of Commons Library has put the average household loss at £1350 a year because of this regressive bill”.

On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the motion, which was therefore CARRIED.

RESOLVED that:

·       The Chief Executive be instructed to write to the appropriate government minister, expressing the council’s concern over measures in the Welfare Bill and an assessment be made of its impact on Oldham should it become law.

·       The three Members of Parliament, particularly the new member for Ashton-under-Lyne, be asked to campaign against the bill during its passage through both Houses of Parliament and to reasonably amend or vote against the bill, encouraging other parliamentary colleagues to do the same.