Conservative MP Gavin “The Pulitzer Prize is in the post” Barwell this week issued one of his regular email bulletins to his constituents in Croydon Central.
Gavin Barwell: Voted to withdraw PIP from disabled people
“The one Budget measure that I’ve received lots of negative feedback about was a proposal to reform Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) that help disabled people with the extra costs they face as a result of their disability.
“I spoke to the Chancellor as people asked me to and, as you may have heard, the Government has now announced that it will not be going ahead with the changes. Not only that, it has also made it clear that it has no plans to make any other savings in the welfare budget during the course of this Parliament.”
What Barwell’s constituency email doesn’t tell anyone is how he has voted on disability benefits.
Barwell backed the withdrawal of the £30 a week benefit from disabled people, and as a senior Government whip, it has been his job to ensure that as many Tory MPs as possible have voted for benefit cuts.
And here is the official summary of how Gavin Barwell has voted on welfare payments for some of the most vulnerable in our society:
Tomorrow: Gavin Barwell’s official record for claiming expenses from the tax-payer for his political activities (SPOILER ALERT: It adds up to more than a mere 30 quid a week).
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Can you please explain what whip does in parliament. Labour on Conservative a government minister cannot vote against the government.
His or her job is to make sure that all MPs follow the party line.
Please give credit to our MP who actually listens to his constituents unlike some MPs who promise to keep libraries open and then don’t keep up their promise.
I will have to remember the great success of the John Laing contract to run Croydon’s libraries and the actions taken by the last administration to secure the future of Upper Norwood Library. Do you have to be an amnesic to be a Tory or does it just help?
Patrick, I hate to shatter the illusion but Gavin voted against the needs of his constituents prior to becoming a government whip. You may remember that Gavin voted to dismantle the equality duty? At the same time he was busy spouting platitudes about the importance of equality. Running with the hare and hunting with the hound is one of Gavin’s specialities.
Credit can only be given where it is due and, in the aforementioned case and the misleading email highlighted by Inside Croydon, Gavin’s credit score is zero.
Gavin claims to be a ‘strong voice for Croydon’. In truth he, by virtue of his role, is a strong voice for government. Just in case there is any confusion: what is in the best interest of government is not always the same as what is best for the people of Croydon.
Well exposed. This is of course hypocrisy that beggars belief. Amazingly, the quote gives us the impression that not only did Barwell change Osborne’s mind, he was also responsible for kicking the whole thing into touch. Who’s kidding who?
But let’s not get carried away here, with the country at £1.4 trillion in debt, action still needs to be taken, but surely not against the disabled. For starters over 30,000 children are receiving benefit who don’t even live in the UK. It’s on record that £20 billion is lost every year through public sector fraud. £15 billion a year on duplicated procurement across Whitehall Departments and Councils. As well as £27 billion spent on enforcing EU regulations.
It’s surprisingly not been reported anywhere that Gavin Barwell has had a word in the Chancellor’s ear about any of those. And not a disabled person in sight.
“The quote gives us the impression that not only did Barwell change Osborne’s mind, he was also responsible for kicking the whole thing into touch.”
You’re talking about the man who saved Crystal Palace FC
Sorry, I didn’t realise George Osborne was a supporter.
Much as he likes to rail against any Government Minister the only response young Gav is going to get, until he resigns as a Government Whip, is two fingers – he cannot vote against his Party until he frees himself from the shackles of ‘power’ manifested in the Whip’s office.
It will be interesting to see whether, during the course of this parliament he eventually puts his constituents first or, in the certain knowledge that he is unlikely to get a third term as the Croydon Central MP, he settles for comfort.
It is amazing that the bigger picture is not being reported about the last week.
Barwell’s Government has failed in their welfare reforms. The Personal Independence Payment which it claimed is more stringent to qualify for and will decrease welfare dependency has led to increased welfare payments and increased greater welfare dependency.
The foolish Tories who claimed the Disability Living Allowance was based on self-assessment (Just did not bother to talk about the stringent medical evidence required to be provided) did what it said. It assisted applicants to continue working and require less welfare support whiles PIPs requires the applicant to be unable to work to make sure there disability receives the higher rewards.
A truly incompetent government who never listen to advice and a truly ridiculous local MP.