John McDonnell speech: MP says he would 'swim through vomit' to oppose 'sickening' welfare bill
'Listening to some of the nauseating speeches in support of it, I might have to'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Labour backbencher John McDonnell made his distaste for the Government's proposed welfare bill clear when he told MPs that he would "swim through vomit" to oppose it.
Amid the five-hour debate over the bill, which is designed to cut welfare spending by £12 billion, the MP for Hayes and Harlington announced:
"I would swim through vomit to vote against this bill. And listening to some of the nauseating speeches in support of it, I might have to."
McDonnell was among 48 Labour MPs to oppose the bill, defying acting Labour leader Harriet Harman who had called on her colleagues to abstain.
Watch the full speech below
Among the planned cuts, the Welfare Reform and Work Bill will reduce the overall household benefits cap to £20,000 a year, down from £26,000.
Mr McDonnell said that it was necessary to understand why the cap had been set at that level.
"We hear lots about how high the welfare bill is, let's understand why that's the case," he said.
"The housing benefit bill is so high because for generations we've failed to build council houses, we've failed to control rents, we've done nothing about the 300,000 properties that stand empty in this country."
The bill passed by 308 votes to 124. A Labour amendment that sought to derail the bill was defeated by 308 votes to 208.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments