labourpress:

Owen Smith, commenting on the appointment of Stephen Crabb as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:

“I congratulate Stephen Crabb on his appointment. However, as Welsh Secretary, he has shown himself totally unwilling to stand up to David Cameron and George Osborne, as their cuts hit working families and hammer the Welsh Budget.

“If he’s to make any difference in his new role, he must quickly learn to stand up to a Treasury that - on George Osborne’s watch - is intent on cutting support for those most in need to pay for tax breaks for those who least need them.

“To right the wrongs of his predecessor, Stephen Crabb must reverse cuts to Universal Credit that will see two million working families an average of £1,600 a year worse off, put right the injustice that millions of women approaching state pension age have suffered and he must scrap the illegal Bedroom Tax.

“Crucially, his very first act as Secretary of State must be to come to Parliament on Monday to announce the full reversal of cruel Tory cuts that will see 370,000 disabled people lose £3,500 a year.”