Middlesbrough MP's constituency survey 'to be fed into taskforce' on child poverty
Middlesbrough and Thornaby East residents have a final chance to have a say on their concerns as local MP wants “a sense of ongoing issues for constituents”.
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald released a constituency survey back in August, ahead of Labour ’s first budget in more than 14 years, which will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on October 30. The questionnaire can be found HERE is available for people to answer until tomorrow (Friday, September 13).
The Labour MP said “I want the new Chancellor to hear directly from people in this constituency.” The statement published by his office includes recent data that shows unemployment and the number of workless households is higher in the Tees Valley than other areas in the North East and the rest of the country.
Some questions listed in the survey are comparative, such as “compared to this time last year, do you feel financially better off/worse off/the same”.
In other instances, Mr. McDonald wants to know what specific policies would be of most use to the people of Middlesbrough. The survey asks “What would help your family most?” The options listed include job security, ending the two-child benefit cap, rent/mortgage certainty, higher pay/social security, and free school meals.
Previously, on July 18, the Labour MP signed the early day motion that called for the end of the two-child benefit cap. When it came to voting on the SNP amendment in the House of Commons, Mr. McDonald abstained. Other Labour MPs in the Tees Valley voted to uphold the two-child benefit cap.
He commented: “We have suffered fourteen years of pay cuts and public service cuts under the Conservatives and poverty has increased - particularly here in Middlesbrough & Thornaby East. With covid and the cost-of-living crisis on top of Conservative cuts, there has been a lot for people to put up with making life harder.”
The survey consists of 12 questions as well as a section for people to include their contact details as it is a requirement to be a constituent to participate in the survey. The Middlesbrough and Thornaby East MP went on to say that “Labour in Government can change people’s lives for the better and we have already started to see that with key workers getting better pay deals.”
He added: “I’m pleased the Government has launched a child poverty taskforce and that it will hold external engagements. I will be inviting the Ministers and the taskforce to Middlesbrough & Thornaby East to hear from residents in person.
“The survey results will be fed into the taskforce, but I will be pressing the Government to take action before that, in the Budget including scrapping the two-child limit on social security.”
In addition to his abstention on the two-child benefit cap vote, Mr. McDonald abstained on Tuesday in the vote on the Winter Fuel Allowance, all other Labour MPs in Teesside voted to restrict winter fuel payments to pensioners not receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
The Survey can be found here - Constituency Survey - Andy McDonald MP.
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