Blackpool MPs vow to rebel against welfare reforms that will make people poorer
PLUS: More on Blackpool Pleasure Beach and plans for a new bar given the chop after complaint
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
Today we report on how changes to personal independence payments will affect people in Blackpool - many of whom are already close to the edge financially.
Disabled people in Blackpool face harsh realities and these changes have the potential to make those realities much more challenging.
We also have the latest on plans for an axe-throwing bar - not as outlandish as they appear given the number of venues elsewhere.
“I would never vote for anything that makes local people poorer.”
By Luke Beardsworth
Both of Blackpool’s Labour MPs have promised to rebel against their own government’s plans to cut disability benefits.
Rachel Reeves announced £14bn of savings in her spring statement on Wednesday as she aims to keep public finances on track.
The Resolution Foundation said about 3 million households on incapacity benefits would be affected. About 800,000 claimants will have reduced personal independence payments, saving the government £8.1bn by 2029-30.
But Reeves and Keir Starmer both face rebellion from their own MPs over the cuts.
Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, says that voting for them would break the promise he made with his constituents that he would never wave through anything that made them poorer.
While he praised extra investment for affordable housing, and money for defence which will likely translate to new jobs at BAE Systems, he said the cuts will push 250,000 more people in poverty.
He said: “In Blackpool South, where almost half of children live in poverty, around 1,000 more children were plunged into absolute poverty last year.
“I made a commitment to Blackpool South that I would never vote for anything that makes local people poorer. These cuts will push even more people in Blackpool into hardship and deepen the struggles of families already on the brink.
I will be voting against these cuts and urging the government to pursue fairer alternatives.”
Meanwhile Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, also confirmed she would be voting against the proposals as they stand. She echoed Webb and said she cannot support anything that makes people in her constituency poorer.
She said: “I have been contacted by many residents about the proposed changes to benefits. I will not support anything which takes money out of the pockets of disabled people.
“The kind of society I want to see is one where those with the broadest shoulders carry the heaviest load.
“In my constituency nearly 41% of households have at least one disabled person living with them. The government’s own impact assessment shows that 250,000 more people will be plunged into poverty as a result of the planned cuts.
“Voting for these reforms as they stand is a line that I am not prepared to cross.”
Although her statement did not make clear whether she would vote against or abstain, she did make it clear she would vote against them if they go ahead as planned.
Support for troubled Blackpool Pleasure Beach
We reported extensively on the latest accounts from Blackpool Pleasure Beach in our midweek newsletter.
Consecutive years of losses means fewer attractions and likely means fewer members of staff, though the resort declined to provide numbers.
Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, has called on his government to provide greater support.
He told The Blackpool Lead: “Blackpool Pleasure Beach attracts millions of visitors and supports hundreds of jobs for local people – it’s is a vital part of our local economy and heritage,.
“The challenges currently faced by the park are concerning but the continued investment in new attractions – like the £8.7m Gyro Swing and work on updating existing rides, is a positive sign of its long-term commitment to investment and growth.
“The most recent tourism figures for Blackpool are reassuring – with visitor numbers reaching 21.57m in 2023, having grown year on year since the pandemic.
“As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tourism and Hospitality, I’m working closely with policymakers and industry leaders to ensure the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector.
“The challenges faced by the Pleasure Beach, such as rising costs and the impact of the cost-of-living, are felt across the industry. I’ve called on the government to provide greater support for the tourism sector, ensuring that vital attractions like Pleasure Beach can continue to thrive and bring prosperity to our communities.
“I will continue to push for the support the industry needs so that Blackpool remains a premier destination for visitors for generations to come.”
For those readers living close to the Jameson Road landfill site in Fleetwood, known for the stink it emits and the thousands of complaints against it, there is a meeting taking place at Fleetwood Football Club on Thursday, 3 April from 6.30-8.30pm.
Those invited included Wyre Council, Lancashire County Council, the Environment Agency and Lorraine Beavers - as well as anyone who this concerns who wants to make their point.
I do not want axes thrown at my wall: Plans for new bar have been given the chop
By Michael Holmes
Plans to open an axe-throwing bar in Blackpool town centre appear to have been given the chop after a complaint from a neighbouring business.
Amanda Glass, from newly incorporated company Liar's Bar, wanted to turn a former bookshop at 19-21 Birley Street into a drinking hole on the ground floor with alcohol-free axe-lobbing lanes upstairs.
But plans for the site, which housed a toy store prior to the book shop and closed last November, have now been pulled.
While no reason has been given in council papers, the decision follows an objection from Richard Perry, who is director of Holiday Travel Shop and told planners: “I have a property next door to the proposed application and the upper floors are serviced accommodation.
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