From: Pauline Allon, Ilkley

The UK Government aims to cut £20 per week from Universal Credit currently paid to 6m low income families to protect from the effects of the pandemic. When this benefit is removed, these families, 6 out of 10 of which are single parents, will lose over £1000 per year amounting to the biggest cut in social security for 75 years and providing the Treasury with an extra £6bn, income from those with the least.

This is no surprise as this Government (one of the richest in the world) voted in July to cut foreign aid from 7% to 5% of the GDP amounting to £4b used to provide health, education, family planning etc to the poorest countries in the world and it is disturbing to learn that our MP Mr R Moore voted for these cuts.

Will Mr Moore support the Government in their bid to reduce Universal Credit affecting low income families, many of which are in Tory ‘red wall’ seats. Johnson’s plan to ‘level up’ to equal the divide between north and south in health and education could cost £2tn and take decades to achieve. The extra £20 per week in the pockets of families surely is a start enabling people to shop locally and stimulate their economy.

This Government has wasted £billions on Brexit the benefits of which have yet to be seen plus £millions on contracts for cronies resulting in inadequate PPE later destroyed.

The Government may be happy to throw money away on pointless ideology but as a nation, we are far from generous towards our poorer families, better ensure the food banks in Ilkley, Keighley and elsewhere are fully stocked because need is sure to increase.