FIRST MINISTER SLAMMED FOR REFUSING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIGH POVERTY LEVELS IN WALES

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North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has hit out at the First Minister for failing to acknowledge that his Government is responsible for Wales having higher poverty levels than England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.   

 

Mr Isherwood challenged Carwyn Jones over the elevated levels in Wales in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, but was disappointed that instead of outlining how he is going to address the issue, the First Minister instead laid the blame with the UK Government.

 

Mr Isherwood said:  

 

“After two decades of Labour Government in Wales, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's 'Poverty in Wales 2018' Report found the proportion of households living in income poverty in Wales remains higher than in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and that poverty among couples with children has been rising since 2003-06. In that context, how do you respond to the statement by the Bevan Foundation that, if people feel that policies are imposed on them, the policies don't work, and that a new tackling poverty programme should not be directed top down?”

 

In his reply, the First Minister said the UK Government was to blame for poverty levels in Wales, stating, “Yes, we have, of course, our plans to tackle poverty, but we do need a change of Government in London so we have a Government that is far more committed to a more equal society”.

 

Mr Isherwood added:

 

“There he goes again, dodging the issue and passing the buck, when UK Government policy applies to the whole of the UK, but the March 2018 Joseph Rowntree Foundation Report reveals that two decades of Labour Government has left Wales with a higher poverty rate than for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with nearly a quarter of people in Wales living in poverty .

 

“It also reports that ‘Over the last 20 years the poverty rate for Wales has generally been higher than in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland’ and that ‘In 1994/97, pensioner poverty, after housing costs, was similar to England and lower than Scotland; by 2013/16 it was higher’. So much for Labour’s claimed commitment to social justice.”