Jardine demands urgent welfare changes in keynote speech

In her first keynote speech as Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson, Christine Jardine has outline her priorities to her party's conference in York and demand the Conservative Government stop cutting welfare payments, end the freeze on working-age benefits and abandon the two child benefit cap.

Christine Jardine said "We have a special responsibility as liberals. Those failures by this Tory Government undermine the drive towards a fairer society that this party - the Liberal Democrats - has always held as its most defining principle. Remember, it was Lloyd George who originally laid the foundations and Beveridge that laid out the vision of the welfare state."

Christine, referring to the Secretary of State Amber Rudd, said "In the short time she's been there we have all noticed the step change, but it's not enough. While this Secretary of State has at least acknowledged some of the problems with Universal Credit, ESA and PiP…it's not enough. Amber you need to fix it. Stop all those who are finding ways to reduce payments, making it difficult to claim or not recognising that poverty can affect those working too. Stop the freeze, abandon the two child benefit cap and help families who can't afford the childcare that would allow the job they've found to actually transform their lives take them out of poverty. Tories have always claimed they are the party that protects the family…well so far all this Tory Government has done is drive families into poverty, debt and homelessness."