Press readers react to MP’s ‘warfare not welfare’ comments

Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory MP for Thirsk and Malton, hit out at the ‘unsustainable’ number of people claiming unemployment benefits in his constituency and called for the reinstatement of the two-child benefit cap to increase the budget of the Armed Forces.

The Conservative Party chairman added that 1,120 people in his constituency were claiming unemployment benefits, which he said was “not sustainable”.

Kevin Hollinrake MP.

​The percentage of people aged 16-64 claiming unemployment benefits in Thirsk and Malton is two per cent, and in Scarborough and Whitby it is 3.1 per cent.

Mr Hollinrake said: ​“The threats we face are getting more and more serious. That is why I voted to demand the Government cuts welfare and gives our Armed Forces the backing they need to keep us safe.”

He added that there was “a consensus that our military is not ready for war” and that reinstating the two-child benefit cap would create savings for increased defence spending.

Readers took to The Press website to have their say.

Beyond Infinity said: “Oh, hooray, what the country needs is more vacuous slogans, right?”

Metalclog said: “The reality is, our Armed Forces cannot survive on a diet of government spin, over-the-horizon spending commitments and hollow rhetoric.”

Freeda said: “It’s more complicated than poor people out of work directly and solely affecting the military budget. A child benefit cap singles out women as the perceived burden of society.

“It would mean fewer potential military recruits being born, more people in debt, families fragmented and older people who have spent a lifetime forging support systems having to uproot and start from scratch.

“If a politician wants votes, don’t make the poor poorer or go against women! A country is judged on the bottom rung of that society’s standard of living, as well as military might and the wealthy.”

ChiefTired said: “Knew it was Hollinrake before I read the article.”

PsDsTsTsK said: “These are disgraceful comments from a Member of Parliament and entirely unbecoming of someone elected to represent the public.”