Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Britain’s largest union Unite has congratulated Roger on voting against the Job Seeker (Back to Work Schemes) Bill which was seeking to change the law, retrospectively and to deny paying back the £130 million which had been taken off benefit claimants who had been sanctioned by Job Centre staff.

Unite was more than disappointed with the decision taken by the Labour front bench to abstain, failing to oppose the government’s attempts to shore up its failing workfare scheme. Opposition to these measures ought to have been the response of our party.

The Labour Front Bench abstained but Roger was one of the 40 Labour MPs who voted against giving the Bill a Second Reading.
The Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Bill was introduced by ministers after the Court of Appeal ruled the Government had failed to provide enough information about its plans to cut benefits for anyone not taking part in its work programme.
University of Birmingham geology graduate CaIt Reilly, aged 24, successfully challenged the Government in Court after she was forced to work in a Kings Heath branch of Poundland or lose her benefits.

This article appeared in the May edition of Roger's newsletter 'Postcard from Parliament'