Aontú Representative for East Derry, Gemma Brolly hits out at increasing cuts and proposals from Tories punishing lower income households to fund the NHS.
Aontú Representative for East Derry, Gemma Brolly hits out at increasing cuts and proposals from Tories punishing lower income households to fund the NHS.
Ms Brolly commented “It is no secret the NHS is crying out for investment. Never more than now have the people of this nation been more grateful for the efforts of our NHS workers, given they continue to be underpaid and undervalued by our governments. To propose securing the future of our health service by increasing employee contributions is not only preposterous but outright insulting to the determined and hardworking people of this nation, and at a time when they are being hit with price increases at every turn.”
“What use are high street vouchers and the likes when households are facing increases in gas of up to 35%, electricity up to 21% and that does not include previous increases within the last 9 months. Here in the North, Universal Credits have also been cut; £20 is a substantial amount of money to lose to many people. It is also a drop in the ocean to quite a few, however they continue to receive generous treatment in our tax system” states Brolly.
“Surely we should be rewarding people contributing to our society with fair treatment and wages, not punishing them and discouraging them out of employment. These cuts and increases in cost of living are forcing people to prioritise their basic and essential needs, to choose between paying the rent/mortgage, heating their home or feeding their family. This was NOT what people signed up for when they made their choices at the ballot boxes. Enough is enough, perhaps the governments should take their feet off the necks of the lower income households and look towards the higher income section to fund our public services” Ms Brolly concludes.
