Eluned Morgan asked to denounce two controversial policies but wouldn't do it (original) (raw)

Wales' First Minister was directly asked to criticise two controversial UK Government policies involving families living in poverty and the cut of winter fuel payments to pensioners but failed to do so. Eluned Morgan was asked about the UK Labour Government's cuts to the fuel payment allowance and Labour not scrapping the two-child cap, introduced by the Conservatives.

Both have been hugely controversial, both within the Labour party and more widely over the impact they have, or will have, on vulnerable people.

Plaid Cymru's Delyth Jewell, who represents South Wales East, asked Mrs Morgan: "In the coming weeks, thousands of pensioners in Wales will suffer the cold bite of winter because their winter fuel allowance has been cut. Now, this is the grim result of Labour's lack of will because, yes, the Tories started this—their cruelty was catastrophic—but so is the choice Labour is making to stick with their savagery.

"Because forcing people to endure the cold under this merciless private system, which monetises the heat we need to stay alive, cutting off their means of comfort, that is savagery. It is condemning people to the cold. So, please, Prif Weinidog [First Minister], will your Government make a last-minute plea to Keir Starmer's Government to rethink this cruel cut? Surely, you don't want your government to be associated with it. "

Mrs Morgan refused to directly answer. "I'm aware that there will be lots of pensioners across Wales who'll be very concerned about this situation, and that's why we are very keen as a government, as is the government of the United Kingdom, to make sure that all of those who are eligible for the winter fuel payments will actually take up that opportunity.

"We can do what we can in the Welsh Government in order to support people, and it's really great to see that councils like Neath Port Talbot Council have already helped 2,100 people to apply for that pension credit, which means that they will then be eligible. So, I'd encourage all councils across Wales to really drive that information project forward in order to make sure that all those eligible, which will support the poorest— I think that is important, that they're aware of that. We are as a government doing what we can to support people with their winter fuel situation."

She was also asked about the two-child cap. The policy, brought in by former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, means low-income parents are denied key benefits, including universal credit, for their third and any subsequent children born from April 2017. Despite pressure, Labour has resisted pressure to scrap it despite figures showing it is pushing children into poverty even since they won the election in July. More than 65,000 children in Wales are affected by the two-child limit, 11% of all children. [**For the latest politics news in Wales sign up to our newsletter here.**](https:// https://www.walesonline.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=8cdecf69-0a19-43af-8d50-ed4e2c52d045&utm%5Fsource=solusarticle )

She was asked about the cap by Liberal Democrat MS Jane Dodds, who quoted the policy being described as a "cruel and a violation of children's rights". She said: "I'm calling on you, as the First Minister, to raise this once again with the Prime Minister, and perhaps you could do that on Friday in your meeting with him... I'm calling on the First Minister to say that she believes that the two-child benefit cap, and the failure of the Labour government to scrap it, is a mistake."

Mrs Morgan again would not be drawn, and said: "I think there are lots of people within the Labour Party who are very uncomfortable about it; that's the truth of it, but there is the £22 billion black hole that is difficult to fill. What we've got to do in Wales is do what we can to support children living in poverty, and that's why things like the free school meal support are absolutely fundamental, so that at least they're getting a hot meal once a day, so there is some support there.

"Obviously, we have a huge number of other areas where we give support, in particular to those vulnerable families; we gave about £5 billion worth between 2022 and 2025. That's not a small amount of money to give support to some of the most vulnerable people, so, where we can, we will provide that support, but the kinds of quantities of money that you would need are simply beyond the ability of the Welsh Government to support."

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