Over 70% of respondents to a survey on welfare believe that the benefits system should be reformed immediately, in Northern Ireland. The results of the poll, conducted by the local Conservative Party, were revealed as David Cameron continued to urge Executive parties at Stormont to reach agreement, at talks aimed at dealing with welfare reform, finance and legacy issues.
“Our figures show that almost 80% of respondents believe that it’s not right people can get more in benefits than the average family earns working”, Conservative Party spokesman, Neil Wilson, pointed out. “73% want to see welfare reform implemented now. The figures suggest that the parties at Stormont are badly out of touch with the general public, when it comes to their policies on welfare. Consistently, Conservatives have been the party saying that the system should be changed, to combat dependency, to help the vulnerable and to deliver fairness for taxpayers. It simply isn’t acceptable to park people on benefits into the long-term. Northern Ireland needs and demands welfare reform.”
“We also asked people whether they trusted David Cameron and George Osborne or Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, with the UK’s economy”, Neil revealed. “The results were definitive. 61% of people trust the Conservative team, while only 13% have faith in Labour. Our message is that voters in Northern Ireland can ensure Labour aren’t allowed to wreck the economy again, by voting for their Conservative candidate at next year’s General Election."