The last few months has seen the Labour Government take a battering in the press and the polls. However I’m still very clear about why I joined the Labour Party and why I’m proud to be a Labour MP. Labour stands for opportunity and fairness. I want every child in Portsmouth (whether they are born to a single parent living in a council flat or to a comfortably off family living in a large house) to have the same opportunity to succeed.

I believe that this will never happen unless the Government takes steps to make it happen. This is the fundamental difference between Labour and the Tories. David Cameron is very clear that it is the individual’s responsibility to tackle poverty and deprivation. However, I believe it is the Government’s job.

That’s what this Government has done and is continuing to do. The new Welfare Reform proposals are the next step in our determination to eradicate child poverty. We can’t have yet another generation growing up in poverty. Work is the best route out of poverty, and we are increasing our efforts in getting people off benefits and into work.

Our new proposals will help 200,000 children out of poverty. We will for the first time allow separated parents on benefits to keep all of their maintenance payments. We will aim to get a million claimants off incapacity benefit, through help with their health care and a return to work. Those on long-term sickness benefits overwhelmingly want to return to work, but they want the training to get skills, they want support not just to find a job but to keep a job, and they want flexibility. 

We will give them that support and help but will expect them to take up that help.

Unlike the Tories this isn’t about saving money by cutting benefits – no benefits will be cut – in fact the most severely disabled will get more money. It is about matching rights with responsibilities and using the savings from people moving off benefits and into work to fund a proper support service to the long term unemployed.