DWP Urged To Publish ‘Secret’ Brexit Impact Analysis

By Steven Preece: The SNP has called on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to publish secret analysis that reveals the impact of different Brexit outcomes on poverty levels, wages and low-income households in Scotland and the UK.

 

Neil Gray MP warned that vulnerable people were already suffering under a decade of Tory austerity and that the DWP’s refusal to publish the figures was a “damning indictment” of a Tory government intent on inflicting a damaging policy no matter the cost.

The call for the full publication of the findings comes after the Poverty Alliance used a Freedom of Information request to ask whether or not the DWP had carried out any assessments to look at the impact of different Brexit scenarios on levels of poverty and inequality in the UK, as well as analysis on the impact on low-income households, on wages, employment and costs of living.

 

The DWP replied to confirm that it does hold some of the analysis but that it would not publish any of the findings as it was not in the public interest to do so.

 

Economic analysis has already shown that crashing out of the EU without a deal will be devastating for Scotland – costing up to 100,000 jobs and hitting people’s pockets to the tune of £2,300 a year per person.

Neil Gray MP, the SNP’s Social Justice spokesperson, said: “The DWP’s refusal to publish internal analysis highlighting the impact that Brexit will have on poverty levels, wages, and low-income households, is a damning indictment of a Tory government intent on inflicting a damaging policy no matter the price ordinary people and families will have to pay.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that a Tory Brexit will push vulnerable people across Scotland and the UK into further poverty and hardship, yet the UK government callously carries on regardless.

“People are already suffering under a decade of Tory austerity, however analysis has shown time and time again that under all Brexit scenarios, jobs will be lost, wages will be hit and people’s living standards will be harmed.

“We cannot allow that to happen.”

He continued: “The SNP will continue to fight tooth and nail to stop Brexit and prevent a no-deal disaster which will hit some of the most vulnerable people in society the hardest.

“The Tories can no longer continue to duck and dive scrutiny – they must publish this secret analysis without any further delay.”

 

 

---