SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has accused Labour of playing “pathetic political games” and “engineering a vote to beat people with a stick” over Universal Credit.

Mr Davies, who abstained from the vote, said there should not have been a vote on the issue because everyone agreed, and said Labour “doesn’t care” about people affected, only political posturing.

Keighley Conservative MP Robbie Moore also abstained from the vote, echoing Mr Davies accusation of "political games", and said he is lobbying for the Universal Credit uplift to be maintained.

Labour tabled the debate on Universal Credit as part of Opposition Day. The Government has been looking to end the £20 a week uplift on Universal Credit brought in at the start of the pandemic, but Downing Street has insisted a decision has not been made yet.

Labour has said millions of families have been relying on the uplift to get by due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Bradford East MP Imran Hussain saying thousands of families in Bradford could be “plunged into poverty” if the uplift is taken away.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Labour is playing political games, and Conservative MP Mr Davies, who has represented the constituency since 2005, echoed these sentiments.

He said: “There shouldn’t have been a vote in the first place when no one is disagreeing with an issue.

“There was no one voting against it apart from the Labour MPs who were the Tellers for the Noes to engineer a vote.”

Labour MPs Jim Spellar and Gill Furniss were the Tellers with no votes recorded in the division.

“There are more important things in the world than playing pathetic political games like that,” Mr Davies continued.

“What we saw yesterday was a political stunt just to use it as a stick to beat everyone with on social media, it’s childish beyond belief.

“It’s an important issue, let’s debate it; but we don’t need to engineer a vote. Labour aren’t interested in the issue or the people affected, just in playing political games.”

Mr Davies added that there is a “very strong case” for the £20 a week uplift remaining in place “while we are in a pandemic and arbitrary lockdowns”.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Keighley MP Robbie MooreKeighley MP Robbie Moore

Robbie Moore added: "I want to see the temporary increase in Universal Credit payments maintained for as long as we remain in the pandemic restrictions.

"I am lobbying the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to make sure that happens, and he has promised to set out his plans in the Budget.

“People I speak to across Keighley and Ilkley tell me they want politicians to work together.

"Yesterday’s vote was on an ‘Opposition Day Debate’ – it would not have changed the law, it was political game playing by Labour.

"I won’t play political games during a pandemic, which is why I chose to abstain.”

The Government has said Chancellor Rishi Sunak will lay out future plans for Universal Credit “shortly”, and one possible alternative being considered is a one-off payment of £500.

Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: "It is disappointing that the Conservative government refused to vote with Labour to provide families with certainty and secure our economy.

"They can still do the right thing and drop their plans to cut Universal Credit."