Listen to the voters by all means. But recognise that they aren't calling for a cut in child tax credits
As it is apt to do, Twitter went into meltdown yesterday at the announcement by Labour interim leader Harriet Harman that the party would not oppose the Conservative proposal to limit tax credits to two children.
Harman also stated that Labour would not oppose other specifics in chancellor George Osborne’s planned cap on household welfare benefits.
Some of the backlash came from Harman’s contemporaries in the race to be the next Labour leader. Three of the four leadership candidates have so far come out in opposition to the limiting of tax credits to two children, with only Liz Kendall yet to set out her position.
In justifying Labour’s apparent support for Osborne’s plan to cut tax credits, Harman claimed that Labour could not tell the public they were wrong after two general election defeats:
“We cannot simply say to the public you were wrong at the election…we’ve got to wake up and recognise that this was not a blip; we’ve had a serious defeat and we must listen to why.”
In other words, the Conservatives have a mandate from the voters to cut tax credits (and benefits more generally) and therefore the Labour party should ‘listen’ (i.e. vote them through).
The problem is that this analysis doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
It’s certainly arguable, regrettably, that the voters have given the government a mandate for swingeing departmental cuts – the chancellor has even rowed back to some extent on the scale of cuts he promised earlier this year. But there’s no mandate for cutting tax credits for those with children.
First of all quite simply because George Osborne did not tell the electorate prior to the election that he would cut child tax credits – in fact during the pre-election television debates David Cameron promised not to cut child tax credits.
The other reason we should not assume the Tories have a mandate to cut child tax credits is because fresh polling indicates that the public are against cuts to tax credits for those with children.
According to a survey done by Sky News last week, while the public back a cut in the amount of benefits that a household can receive from £26,000 to £23,000, they don’t support a cut in tax credits for those with children. The survey found that 63 per cent of people were opposed to cutting tax credits for those with children. The same number also opposed cutting benefits for disabled people who are working.
So no, there isn’t a public mandate for cutting child tax credits. And while it’s probably correct to say that in many policy areas the public are, regrettably, not in the same place as the Labour party, tax credits for children are not one of them.
James Bloodworth is the editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
65 Responses to “Harriet Harman is wrong: the Conservatives don’t have a mandate to cut child tax credits”
GhostofJimMorisson
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/29/labour-party-equality
This is well worth a read from David Goodhart. Best post-election analysis I’ve read.
Patrick Nelson
Yes he also wrote a good chapter in http://www.bluelabour.org/blue-labour-book-out-28-february-2015/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Labour-Forging-New-Politics/dp/1784532029
GhostofJimMorisson
Indeed, it was that chapter I had in mind. Excellent analysis. I also enjoyed his book The British Dream, and thought it a disgrace when he wasn’t invited to the 2013 Hay Festival because the events’ organisers disagreed with it.
stevep
Interesting analysis, particularly on meritocracy. The trouble is, these things are a snapshot, a best guess of the situation and the likely outcome. Times change, often rapidly, in ways no-one can predict. Let`s see where we are in two or three years time.
Nick
Harriet Harman is wrong the public at the last election in
the overall vast majority of 45 million who could have voted did not vote for a
conservative party, which is based on a middle eastern style of politics of
standing on your own 2 feet at all times and your demise if you cant
The public did not vote for that at all but ultimately in
just a few short words as have outlined above is the ultimate goal of the conservative
party and always has been and always will be just as in the middle east and has
always been their politics throughout history
The public largely are unable or daft to not accept these
facts but at the end of the day that is the bottom line and only Jeremy Corbyn
is only the true labour with the other candidates clearly for all to see in the
conservative ranks and always have been hence their huge loss at the last election
Jeremy Corbyn can make headway in going forward but has to
stick to the very clear differences of the rich and poor and to unite the people
in the best practises of equality for all and for those who do work hard applies
to all people working and those that care for others which is the ultimate in
hard work are treated equally
Also the long term sick and disabled be treated with respect
and not as of now with the conservatives their death
https://www.facebook.com/ribbonsforwelfare?hc_location=stream