McCrossan: Sinn Fein have buckled

SDLP West Tyrone Westminster candidate Daniel McCrossan has accused Sinn Fein of buckling under pressure from the Tory Government after they backed the DUP’s Welfare Reform Bill. Describing the Bill as an attack on the welfare state, Mr McCrossan accused Sinn Fein of rolling over when the DUP abused the petition of concern to shut down SDLP amendments that sought to improve the Bill and protect the most vulnerable in society.

He said: “It is scandalous that Sinn Fein are still trying to represent themselves as a party fighting to protect the vulnerable in our society. In their complicity in this assault on the welfare state they have left those who depend on benefits very anxious about the reduced amounts they can expect and the hoops they’ll have to jump through to get them.

“People suffering from mental health problems, the victims of hate crime, disabled young people, these are the people the SDLP sought to protect with our amendments and these are the people Sinn Fein failed when they rolled over in the face of a DUP veto. They did not make a sound when the DUP undemocratically abused the petition of concern to effectively veto any change to their draconian welfare reform.

“The SDLP have resisted cuts at every level. We opposed Tory Welfare Reform at Westminster and significantly restricted the Bedroom Tax, now we’re left to oppose it in the Assembly alone. 

“It was the SDLP who gained accountability for NCA before they were allowed to operate in the North, providing us with a valuable new weapon against organised crime in border areas. Sinn Fein copped out and has done so again on Welfare Reform, buckling in the face of Tory pressure.

They promised to block the bedroom tax. Time after time they said they would table a petition of concern to make sure it never came into operation here. That has now been proven to be nothing more than hot air. The SDLP tabled a petition of concern and appealed to Sinn Féin throughout the debate to sign it. They failed to step up to the mark. Another broken promise to add to the list.

“It is clear now that the SDLP are now leading the fight against austerity and Sinn Fein are way out of touch with the public’s needs and opinion.”