Budget 2015

It's clear that we are having to set this difficult budget due entirely to the cuts imposed on this Council by the LibDem and Tory Government.

The report of Welfare Reforms in November 2014 notes that 148 families in Sheffield suffer from the benefits cap. That means that 736 children in Sheffield are living in families where they are struggling to pay rent to keep a roof over their heads

I have no doubt that this Government have done nothing to support or value the poorest people in this country, instead they have allowed the national debt to race out of control, the country now owes more money than we did 5 years ago that's equal to £5000 per person.

In the last 12 months alone the use of food banks has risen by 54%

Recent figures from Public Health show that we have an increase in the number of children under the age of 5 in Sheffield who are malnourished. This is 2015 not the 1930's but under this ConDem Government they would like to take us back to the 1930's

Recently the LibDem Minister of State for Schools David Laws wrote to a constituent who had complained about her older children not having free school meals  and wanting to know how she was supposed to feed her children during the holidays. His reply was that it wasn't the responsibility of his Government to look after hungry children, more a Tory point of view than a Liberal.

I believe the this country is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 24 clearly states that Governments shall combat malnutrition by the provision of adequate nutritious foods, clearly this LibDem Tory disaster don't care about our children indeed they are more concerned to prop up their rich millionaire party donors that feeding hungry children.

Tackling the massive inequality in the this country means paying people a living wage not slave wages, it means stopping zero hours contracts, it's something the current LibDem and Tories have completely failed to tackle. Fiddling with the amount of tax free income is minor tinkering around the edges.

We need a Government that is committed tackling the inequalities in this Country and to set ambitious steps to reverse the decline that we have suffered over the last 5 years.

A Government needs to take steps to ensure people have decent secure jobs that pay a living wage, that allows people to contribute to society by paying tax and national insurance.

There are currently 4.9 million people working part time in multiple jobs and that figure is rising, people desperate to bring in enough money to keep their families together. This number has risen hugely since 2010 another example of how this ConDem Government is failing the people of this City and Country.

The LibDems cannot  be trusted since they broke their promises to the electorate in 2010 and have shown themselves to be worthy only to prop up the most right wing Tory Government for years.

Only Labour has the plans, the drive and the determination to work for the people of this City and this Country and to undo the damage wrought on the poorest and weakest and the most deprived and to give the British people back hope in the future.