The Workers Party Cork City Councillor Ted Tynan has said that, far from being the voice of fairness on behalf of working class people it promised prior to the last election, the Labour Party was now leading Fine Gael in attacking social welfare and public services.
Cllr. Tynan has that the latest comments of a number of Labour ministers that cuts in Child Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance are likely to be in the next budget sound more than a softening-up exercise than public statements of concern for the less well-off.
“In their election manifesto last February, Labour promised people ‘Jobs, Reform and Fairness’ but instead their first eight months in power has been characterised by further attacks on the poor and measures designed to force unemployed people into unpaid internships and grossly exploitative low-paid employment”.
Cllr. Tynan said, “Far from being the advocate of fairness, protecting the most vulnerable in this country, the Labour Party have grabbed the austerity knife with both hands and Labour ministers are now leading the attack on social welfare and public services. They have shown the zeal of the convert as Labour’s way has most definitely now become Frankfurt’s way”.
