MPS HAVE been criticised by Plaid Cymru's Cardiff South and Penarth Assembly candidate Dafydd Trystan Davies.

Seven Labour MPs from Wales voted against the welfare budget package which included cuts to working tax credits and child tax credits, and Dr Davies pointed out that among those who abstained was the local MP Stephen Doughty.

Dr Davies said: "These measures were vigorously opposed by Plaid MPs, who demonstrated yet again that only Plaid Cymru stands up for Welsh families.

"There's a rich irony in that Labour has often campaigned as the party to oppose Tory cuts but, when an opportunity such as this arises, they fail to oppose the cuts and abstain.

"These cuts will hit working families and will mean less money for the lowest paid in society.

"Among those to lose out will be an estimated 3,500 families who receive working tax credits and child tax credits in the Vale of Glamorgan Council area including many in Penarth, and a further 900 families without children who receive working tax credits."

Dr Davies added that Plaid Cymru believes in a fair wage for a fair day’s work and a top-up when the wage is so low that it fails to provide an adequate, decent living for families.

He said the Government seems intent on squeezing money out of the poorest in society to pay for their own mistakes and those of the previous Labour Government.

He said: "We in Plaid Cymru want to see the introduction of a genuine living wage, which would mean a pay rise for 250,000 Welsh workers.

"While our MPs at Westminster fight to protect the interests of the people of Wales, Labour has once again confirmed its reputation as the party of abstention."

Labour MP Stephen Doughty said that both he and his party oppose a significant proportion of the welfare budget including cuts to tax credits.

He said: "We made our thoughts absolutely clear in the amendment we proposed which I would have been happy to vote for."

He went on to say that there had been a lot of myth-making by certain parties and the facts remain that they will continue to oppose certain elements while proposing amendments.

Mr Doughty said: "Opposing the good measures that are there including measures to increase apprenticeships would be inappropriate so we only oppose what is damaging in the bill.

"This is pretty cheap point scoring from a party who were willing to vote with the Tories on repealing the fox hunting ban."