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Senior British lawmakes criticize Tories' budget plan

AFP file photo shows UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne at the British parliament.

The British government has come under harsh criticism by senior lawmakers over its budget plan that contains cuts to personal independent payments (PIP).

The annual budget plan, presented by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on Wednesday, sparked criticism even within the ruling Conservative Party, with some MPs threatening to derail it in the parliament.

According to the plan, Osborne’s single revenue-raising measure over the next five years would be cutting PIP by £1.3bn. The office for Budget Responsibility said the move would affect 370,000 people, who would lose some £3,500 a year.

Andrew Percy, the conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, warned that the cuts plan would hit “exactly the wrong people.”

“This is about need, it is not about welfare reform. These people have these needs. These needs are not going away and therefore the payments should not go away,” Percy said.

Johnny Mercer, another Conservative lawmaker, said he was concerned by the proposed changes to PIP.

“Not sure right direction. We must look after our most vulnerable at every turn. No doubt welfare spend still too high, but for those who really need it, it is lifeline,” Mercer added.

The plan also received opposition from Labour MPs. The party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday that what Osborne “has just delivered is actually the culmination of six years of his failures.”

“It’s a recovery built on sand on a budget of failure. He’s failed on the budget deficit, failed on debt, failed on investment, failed on productivity, failed on trade deficit, failed on the welfare cap, failed to tackle inequality in this country,” Corbyn added.

Britain’s former coalition government, led by the Conservatives, launched austerity measures, including welfare cuts, when it came to power in 2010 in a bid to tackle the country’s mounting debt and sluggish growth following the 2009 financial crisis in Europe.

The current UK Tory government, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, has also continued its austerity agenda since it came to power last May despite public protests against controversial cuts in recent years.


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