MP set to vote against government benefit cuts

LABOUR POLITICIAN TO BUCK PARTY LINE

- By DANIEL HODGSON Reporter

MIDDLESBROUGH'S Labour MP has firmly broken with the Government on the proposed welfare reforms.

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, has spoken in parliament this week, highlighting his continuing concerns and dissatisfaction with the plans, especially due to the lack of engagement from the Government.

He concluded his remarks by stating that he would be voting against the measures.

The Labour MP has been hinting for quite some time that he was heading in this direction, but was yet to confirm that he would vote against until now.

In a video posted on his social media channels, Mr McDonald can be seen laying out his fears about the planned welfare cuts, highlighting the Government's own statistics on the changes and how greater numbers of people were set to be pushed into poverty.

Mr McDonald described his decision as putting the "country first and party second" as he spoke during a parliamentary session.