Boris Eyes the Main Chance

Boris Johnson and a Supporter

The Tories "cannot ignore the gulf in pay packets that yawns wider" every year, Boris Johnson has told the Conservative Party conference.

He said the government must support the "hardest working and lowest paid" as "we reform welfare and we cut taxes".

Johnson pointed out; "one person's forward progress drives another person's forward progress" but warned that it would not work "if the economic gap between us is allowed to grow too big".

He said that "in 1980 a chief executive of a FTSE 100 company earned about 25 times the average salary of his or her employees" - but that had now grown to 130 times and there were some who paid themselves 780 times more.

A split may well be coming in the Conservative Party - it ceratinly looks as if Boris is limbering up for a leadership bid as David Cameron departs.  

MEANWHILE:

Plaid Cymru calls for Tax Credit U-Turn

120,000 working people due to be stung by Tory cut

Plaid Cymru has called on the UK Government to ditch plans to cut the earnings of working people through slashing working tax credits. The party’s calls follow a speech by the Tory Mayor of London at his party’s conference which included a thinly-veiled attack on the plans.

The Welsh Foodbank has warned that the cuts to tax credits will mean that more people are dependent on foodbanks.

According to the Welsh Foodbank Network, benefit changes are a main driver for foodbank use, and this could be exacerbated by the changes to working tax credits.

Almost 120,000 families in Wales receive working tax credit.

Plaid Cymru’ leader Leanne Wood said:

“There are around 120,000 families in Wales who depend on working tax credits to make ends meet, but instead of tackling the causes of low pay, the Tory government has decided to target the incomes of low-wage workers.

“Welfare issues account for nearly half of all referrals to foodbanks, as confirmed in my meeting with Wales’ foodbank coordinator today, and this will only increase as families are forced to do without working tax credits.

 “The UK Government needs to take the first possible opportunity to perform another U-turn and Plaid Cymru MPs will be urging it to do so.”

Tony Graham, Foodbank co-ordinator for Wales, said:

“If people on low incomes lose up to £1,000 a year from their tax credits then inevitably more and more will find themselves in poverty and having to use food banks. 

“We agree with the Institute for Fiscal Studies who say that the minimum wage increase promised by the UK Government will in no way compensate ordinary working families for the impact of the cuts they will face.”

Tax Credit cuts could spell disaster for the Tories and Boris Johnson obviously sees an opportunity to position himself as a champion of the low paid however unlikely that might seem.