Trevor Ringland, NI Conservatives’ social development spokesperson, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s latest speech on welfare, which he said “opens up an important debate on dependency”.
“This is a vital issue, which successive governments have failed to get to grips with, and David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith should be congratulated for tackling welfare reform head on”, Trevor remarked. “The Conservative approach is often distorted by opponents. To be clear, its purpose is not to blame or demonise, but rather to build a system which breaks dependency on benefits, combats poverty and provides fairness for taxpayers”.
“NI Conservatives share David Cameron’s conviction that it simply isn’t acceptable to write off whole sections of society and condemn successive generations to dependency. With the proper help, training and incentives, anyone who is physically capable of work can find a job and reach their potential. Benefits should be a safety net, for those who cannot work or who fall on hard times, rather than a lifestyle choice, because a dependent lifestyle is not a healthy, prosperous or fulfilling lifestyle”.
“The Welfare Bill has started the process of reform, with a series of bold and necessary measures to make work pay and to ensure that benefits go to those who are entitled to them. In his speech, David Cameron widened the debate to look at where we need to go next. In Northern Ireland long-term welfare dependency is having a particularly devastating impact on communities and it is a debate which we must engage with urgently. NI Conservatives’ priority will always be to protect the vulnerable, but also to have a fair welfare system and one which helps people make the most of their skills and potential.”