Both Milton Keynes MPs have been criticised by the Labour Party locally tonight for their abstention on a motion to extend the £20 a week increase in the rate of universal credit.
It comes as the Labour Party put forward a non-binding motion in the House of Commons to see the temporary increase in the benefit be extended beyond the current end date of March.
Both city MPs did not vote on the motion, which passed by 278 votes to zero. Six Conservative MPs rebelled to vote for the motion.
But Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart have said that a decision will not be taken about what happens with the increase until the budget in March, with Mr Everitt saying that tonight's vote was a "political game".
Labour say the vote would not have forced the government to adopt the changes but would have added to pressure for the increase to be made a longer-term measure.
Cllr Rob Middleton, Labour councillor and Milton Keynes Council Cabinet Member for Resources said: “Every day we see the impact on Covid-19 hitting our economy, and the burden is being felt by everyone. However, it is falling hardest on those who have the least."
"The Labour Party wanted MPs to send a strong message to the government that cutting Universal Credit would be wrong. Our local Milton Keynes Conservative MPs failed the test.”
"Most people in Milton Keynes are not idiots. They know our MPs just do as they are told. It’s no secret that their personal ambition is ministerial office, not speaking up for MK. They had a chance tonight to simply send a message."
"More debt, more homelessness and more child poverty will mean more pressure on Milton Keynes Council services which are already being pushed to the limit after a decade of Tory austerity. The government needs to reverse this proposed cut in Universal Credit and our city needs MPs that will stand up for the people of this city, not their careers.”
In response to the calls, Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, said that Labour are "scaremongering again".
He said: "There has been no decision on whether to extend this temporary additional amount, or to phase it out, or replace it with something else."
"That will happen in March in the Budget with a whole range of other measures to support people and our economy as it should be."
"Saying it's being cut is scaremongering, irresponsible and erodes trust during a crisis."
Iain Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, added: ”Throughout this pandemic the Conservative Government has provided unprecedented levels of support for jobs and families. We will continue to do so."
"The precise ways in which this will happen are rightly for the Budget which is just a few weeks away, not a knee jerk response to a political stunt from Labour, who actually want to see Universal Credit abolished.”
