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A Tory councillor has apologised after his colleagues held a sweepstake on when Labour would bring up the controversial Universal Credit cut in a recent meeting.
Karen Constantine, Labour councillor for Ramsgate, was speaking at Kent County Council’s Health Scrutiny and Overview Committee on 16 September when she heard “groaning, guffawing and chuckling” from her Conservative colleagues.
A recording of the meeting shows Cllr Constantine say: “I wonder what this committee’s thoughts were on the £20 cut to Universal Credit, which is going to force a lot of families into poverty.”
But she is then interrupted and adds: “I can hear my colleagues groaning, but this is about prevention being better than cure.”
Tory councillor Paul Bartlett, who chairs the committee, then replies by saying that the Conservatives had made a bet on when Labour would bring up the benefit cut.
“The reason you heard collective groans was because some colleagues have lost the sweepstake as to when Universal Credit would be mentioned at this meeting,” he says.
Ms Constantine told Sky News she was “amazed” local Conservatives had admitted to such “dreadful behaviour”.
“They were laughing at me basically. When I’m speaking, I expect my fellow councillors to be listening,” she said.
“I was really very, very sad that something so significant was a source of fun for Conservative members – are they that out of touch?”
The government increased Universal Credit payments by £20 a week during the coronavirus pandemic in response to the huge rise in numbers claiming.
But on 6 October, the scheme came to an end, leaving the 5.8 million who receive the…
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Source : skynews
