Bishops right to attack cuts - MP

OLDHAM MP Debbie Abrahams has welcomed the intervention of church leaders in branding the Government’s changes to the welfare system as a “national crisis”.

Twenty seven bishops - including the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev David Walker - wrote to the PM accusing the Conservative-led coalition of creating “hardship and hunger” with the welfare reforms.

Mrs Abrahams, Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and a member of the Work and Pensions Committee said: “Surely no-one can still be in any doubt that this Government is using underhand tactics to get as many people off benefits as possible to massage the unemployment data. It’s taken the misery of hundreds of thousands of people being struck off benefits, for no fault of their own, to bring this to light.”

The letter from the church leaders, which is part of the End Hunger Fast campaign, argues Mr Cameron has a “moral duty” to act on the number of people going hungry.”