Robin Millar, Member of Parliament for Aberconwy, has voted in Parliament in support of the Government’s 1.25% increase in National Insurance contributions to help the NHS to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and to improve social care.
Speaking about the increase Robin said:
“This increase was not in our manifesto – but nor was the pandemic.”
“I know this Government was elected on a pledge not to increase taxes and I was proud to commit to that pledge. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted the greatest contraction of UK economic output in 300 years and revenues from taxes have fallen catastrophically.
“At the same time, the Government has protected jobs and businesses throughout the United Kingdom with packages of unprecedented financial support, including through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. The Government has also implemented an emergency £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit to help to protect some of the most vulnerable people and families at the height of the pandemic.
“That support has helped protect jobs and livelihoods in Aberconwy and saved lives by enabling people to remain at home and to reduce the spread of the virus.
“All of this costs money and we have to pay for it somehow. The alternative of borrowing more would simply shift the debt to our children and grandchildren and I do not find that acceptable.”
Speaking about today’s vote in Parliament, Robin went on to say:
“It would be wrong of the Government to stick rigidly to financial commitments in the light of the unprecedented circumstances we face today.
“The question of real reform still lies ahead and is growing more pressing. I hope this will buy some time to tackle this in the near future.”
Speaking about the opportunities for Wales, Robin finished by saying:
“The Government has also allocated unprecedented extra funding to the devolved administrations to help in their responses to the pandemic, including £8.6 billion to the Welsh Government.
“Social care in north Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh government and is in crisis. This increase means that, by 2024, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £700 million over what these changes to National Insurance will raise in Wales.
“This ‘Union Dividend’ should be ringfenced for improving social care.
“I join my colleagues in the Senedd in calling on the Welsh Government to outline how it will use the vast powers at its disposal, along with this dividend to address the crisis in social care that we have here in north Wales.”
Aelod Seneddol Aberconwy yn Pleidleisio i Gefnogi’r Ardoll Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol
Mae Robin Millar, Aelod Seneddol Aberconwy, wedi pleidleisio yn y Senedd heddiw i gefnogi cynnydd o 1.25% y Llywodraeth mewn cyfraniadau Yswiriant Gwladol i helpu’r GIG i adfer ar ôl pandemig Covid-19 ac i wella gofal cymdeithasol.
Wrth siarad am y cynnydd, dywedodd Robin:
“Nid oedd y cynnydd hwn yn ein maniffesto – ond nid oedd y pandemig ychwaith.”
“Rwy’n gwybod bod y Llywodraeth hon wedi cael ei hethol ar sail addewid i beidio â chynyddu trethi ac roeddwn yn falch o ymrwymo i’r addewid hwnnw. Fodd bynnag, mae pandemig Covid-19 wedi arwain at y cyfangiad mwyaf ar allbwn economaidd y DU ers 300 mlynedd ac mae refeniw trethi wedi gostwng yn aruthrol.
“Ar yr un pryd, mae’r Llywodraeth wedi diogelu swyddi a busnesau ledled y Deyrnas Unedig gyda phecynnau o gymorth ariannol newydd, gan gynnwys y Cynllun Cadw Swyddi drwy gyfnod y Coronafeirws a’r Cynllun Cymorth Incwm i’r Hunangyflogedig. Mae’r Llywodraeth hefyd wedi cyflwyno codiad brys o £20 yr wythnos i Gredyd Cynhwysol i helpu i ddiogelu rhai o’r bobl a’r teuluoedd mwyaf agored i niwed ar anterth y pandemig.
“Mae’r gefnogaeth honno wedi helpu i ddiogelu swyddi a bywoliaeth yn Aberconwy ac wedi achub bywydau drwy alluogi pobl i aros gartref a lleihau lledaeniad y feirws.
“Mae hyn i gyd yn costio arian ac mae’n rhaid i ni dalu amdano rywsut. Byddai benthyca mwy yn golygu trosglwyddo’r ddyled i’n plant a’n hwyrion a’n hwyresau ac nid yw hynny’n dderbyniol i mi.”
Wrth siarad am y bleidlais heddiw yn y Senedd, aeth Robin ymlaen i ddweud:
“Byddai’n anghywir i’r Llywodraeth lynu’n gaeth at ymrwymiadau ariannol yn sgil yr amgylchiadau estron rydym yn eu hwynebu heddiw.
“Mae’r cwestiwn o ddiwygio gwirioneddol yn dal i fod o’n blaenau ac mae’n tyfu’n fwyfwy enbyd. Rwy’n gobeithio y bydd hyn yn arbed amser i fynd i’r afael â hyn yn y dyfodol agos.”
Wrth siarad am y cyfleoedd i Gymru, gorffennodd Robin drwy ddweud:
“Mae’r Llywodraeth hefyd wedi dyrannu cyllid ychwanegol newydd i’r gweinyddiaethau datganoledig i helpu gyda’u hymatebion i’r pandemig, gan gynnwys £8.6 biliwn i Lywodraeth Cymru.
“Llywodraeth Cymru sy’n gyfrifol am ofal cymdeithasol yn y gogledd ac mae mewn argyfwng. Mae’r cynnydd hwn yn golygu y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru, erbyn 2024, yn cael £700 miliwn yn ychwanegol dros yr hyn y bydd y newidiadau hyn i Yswiriant Gwladol yn ei godi yng Nghymru.
Dylai ‘Difidend yr Undeb’ gael ei glustnodi ar gyfer gwella gofal cymdeithasol.
“Ymunaf â’m cydweithwyr yn y Senedd i alw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i amlinellu sut y bydd yn defnyddio’r pwerau helaeth sydd ganddi, ynghyd â’r difidend hwn i fynd i’r afael â’r argyfwng mewn gofal cymdeithasol sy’n ein hwynebu yma yng ngogledd Cymru.”