Another Labour fake pledge? Labour urged to come clean on £13bn benefits policy
LABOUR was last night urged to come clean on its £13billion “pledge” to end the benefits freeze.
Ms Truss questioned Mr Corbyn's 'straight talking, honest politics' in a letter
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss questioned Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s “straight talking, honest politics” in a letter to shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams.
Ms Truss wrote: “Your party’s position appears to be confused and you have so far refused to directly answer questions on this topic.
“Could you please, therefore, urgently clarify: A. If it is Labour Party policy to end the benefit freeze? B. If so, how you would raise the nearly £13billion that will be needed to pay for it?
“Your leader has committed to practice ‘straight talking, honest politics’ so in the interests off an honest public discussion on this issue, I look forward to your prompt response.”
The letter was sent to shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams
You have so far refused to directly answer questions on this topic
After the launch of the Labour Party manifesto Mr Corbyn said the party was “not going to freeze benefits”.
The pledge came after Labour released a statement saying it was “committed to injecting £10billion over five years into the benefits system to review and redesign it for the economy we want to create and make it more effective at reducing poverty and supporting people at work”.
It added: “As Jeremy Corbyn made clear, that will mean an end to the freeze.”
Ms Truss’s letter came after Mr Corbyn was accused of a U-turn on student debt
However ending the freeze did not appear in the manifesto after shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry admitted, “Labour shouldn’t be promising things that we can’t afford”.
Ms Truss’s letter, sent on Friday, came after Mr Corbyn was accused of a U-turn on student debt.
The Tories claim he has reneged on a promise to wipe out tuition fee debt worth £100billion – made in an interview when he said: “I don’t see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the £9,000 period should be burdened compared to those that went before or those that come after. I will deal with it.”
Labour has since claimed that it “wasn’t a firm commitment” .