New analysis by the Labour Party shows that South Tyneside is amongst the worst effected by a double hit of local government cuts and cuts to tax credits and benefits.
The North East is the worst hit region, with cuts amounting to £566 per head. While South Tyneside is the third worst hit area in the North East and the 15th worst hit area in the country with a loss of £663 per head.
This contrasts sharply with the least-hit region, the South East, where the combined impact of local government and welfare cuts is just over half as great, at £292 per head. And the least-hit area, Mole Valley in Surrey, sees a total loss of £182 per head.
Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour’s candidate for South Shields, said:
“These figures prove that the Tories are hitting South Shields harder than other places.
“We already knew that South Tyneside has been hit harder than anywhere else by Bedroom Tax and is the second hardest hit by cuts to council tax benefit. Now we can clearly see that people here are bearing the brunt of David Cameron’s cuts to local government, tax credits and benefits.
“Karen Allen and Hugh Annand need to explain why their Tory and Liberal Democrat colleagues in Westminster are making people here South Shields pay more at exactly the same time as they are giving millionaires a tax cut. It’s just not fair.
“It also shouldn’t be forgotten that UKIP are calling for even deeper cuts.”
“As your MP I would do everything I can to make sure that South Shields gets a fair deal and isn’t left to pay the price of this Government’s economic failure.”