Conor McGinn MP Member of Parliament for St Helens North
St Helens North MP Conor McGinn has criticised the Government’s budget for a lack of action to tackle falling wages and rising costs for communities in St Helens and across the North West.
Figures obtained by Mr McGinn from the UK Statistics Authority show that average weekly earnings for workers in St Helens North was хЃ411.50 last year лв down from хЃ435.80 in 2010, a decrease of 5 per cent.
At the same time, the Government is presiding over a five year high inflation rate, pushing up the price of goods and services, and the botched rollout of Universal Credit is pushing many families into poverty.\n
Figures obtained by Mr McGinn from the UK Statistics Authority show that average weekly earnings for workers in St Helens North was хЃ411.50 last year лв down from хЃ435.80 in 2010, a decrease of 5 per cent.
At the same time, the Government is presiding over a five year high inflation rate, pushing up the price of goods and services, and the botched rollout of Universal Credit is pushing many families into poverty.\n
On top of this, the Government has slashed the grant for St Helens Council from хЃ127 million in 2010 to just хЃ53 million last year лв a drop of nearly хЃ75 million.
And the Government has broken its own promises to protect funding for schools and the police, with per pupil funding falling and police budgets set to be cut by хЃ500 million in real terms by 2020.
Mr McGinn and Labour are calling for the Government to properly fund our public services, fully remove the public sector pay cap, introduce a housing programme that properly meets demand and invest properly in the infrastructure in the North West.
Commenting, Mr McGinn said:
“Under this Tory Government, we’ve had seven years of austerity and cuts to vital public services that families in St Helens and the wider region depend on.
“Wages are falling and prices are rising for my constituents and our local services are being hollowed out on this Government’s watch. The Government must get a grip by pausing the botched rollout of Universal Credit and properly invest in our public services.
“And the Government is breaking its own promises to protect schools and policing, with per pupil funding falling and half a billion pounds set to be axed from the police by the end of the decade.
“The Government had a chance in this budget to ease the squeeze on our communities, but instead it is pressing on with the same failed austerity policies that make life harder for people in St Helens North.”
And the Government has broken its own promises to protect funding for schools and the police, with per pupil funding falling and police budgets set to be cut by хЃ500 million in real terms by 2020.
Mr McGinn and Labour are calling for the Government to properly fund our public services, fully remove the public sector pay cap, introduce a housing programme that properly meets demand and invest properly in the infrastructure in the North West.
Commenting, Mr McGinn said:
“Under this Tory Government, we’ve had seven years of austerity and cuts to vital public services that families in St Helens and the wider region depend on.
“Wages are falling and prices are rising for my constituents and our local services are being hollowed out on this Government’s watch. The Government must get a grip by pausing the botched rollout of Universal Credit and properly invest in our public services.
“And the Government is breaking its own promises to protect schools and policing, with per pupil funding falling and half a billion pounds set to be axed from the police by the end of the decade.
“The Government had a chance in this budget to ease the squeeze on our communities, but instead it is pressing on with the same failed austerity policies that make life harder for people in St Helens North.”
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