UK politics live: Labour to unveil plan to slash billions from benefit bill amid backbench backlash
Work and pension secretary Liz Kendall set to unveil plans to slash welfare bill by £5bn in benefits overhaul on Tuesday
Labour is set to unveil plans to slash billions of pounds from the UK’s benefit bill amid a growing backlash among the party’s backbenchers.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall is expected to set out plans for welfare reform on Tuesday to get more people back to work and cut the cost of the benefits bill by as much as £5 billion.
The proposals have been met with fierce criticism from Labour backbenchers, with veteran left-winger Diane Abbott branding the overhaul “not a Labour thing to do”.
But the prime minister’s official spokesperson said on Monday that Sir Keir Starmer “has been clear there is both a moral and an economic case for fixing our broken social security system that’s holding our people back, and our country back”.
The spokesperson also rejected claims the reforms were being carried out because of the UK’s difficult fiscal situation.
There are fears as many as 1 million people could see their benefits reduced, while charities have warned thousands of disabled people could be forced into poverty.
Leading think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned the disabled and long-term sick could consequently lose as much as £1,200 a year.
UK having ‘pragmatic’ discussions with US on trade, says Number 10
The UK is having “pragmatic” discussions with the US on trade, Number 10 has said, after Donald Trump said that there would be no exemptions to metal tariffs.
Downing Street said on Monday it would continue to keep “all options on the table” after the US president was reported to have told journalists on Air Force One that he has no intention of creating exemptions.
Mr Trump has implemented a 25 per cent tariff on global steel and aluminium imports.
Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Monday: “We’re engaged in pragmatic discussions with the US on securing a wider economic deal, when it comes to the global tariffs we’re assessing all options.
“As the Prime Minister said last week we’re keeping all options on the table but we’re going to take a pragmatic approach to this and we’ll be continuing to have these discussions.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to fly to the US later this week for talks with representatives in Mr Trump’s government.
Two protesters kicked out during London speech by Kemi Badenoch
Two protesters have been kicked out during a speech by Kemi Badenoch at London’s Guildhall.
The Conservative leader began to speak when a woman holding a banner that said "Abolish Billionaires" held up a banner and began to shout. She was soon ejected from the Central London hall by members of the audience.
A second protester was also kicked out, and appeared to shout about the cost-of-living crisis as she was ejected from the room.
At the event, which marked 50 years since Margaret Thatcher helped to set up the think tank, Ms Badenoch could be heard to say: “I hardly think Mrs Thatcher can be blamed for the cost-of-living crisis.”
Ex-Ofsted chief lashes out at Bridget Phillipson over Labour school reforms
The former head of Ofsted has lashed out at the education secretary, accusing her of caring more about the interests of unions than schoolchildren.
In a scathing broadside at Bridget Phillipson’s education reforms, Amanda Spielman accused her of bowing to the “demands of unions”.
And Ms Spielman, who stood down as the head of the schools watchdog in 2023, called for her to abandon the plans “before the damage is done”.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Ms Spielman said: “It is hard to understand the motivation, beyond being seen to be different, though the new minister is clearly giving a great deal of time and attention to the desires and demands of unions.
“And alas, unions will always defend the interests of the adults in schools over those of children... I do hope she will think again, before the damage is done.”
She said she was “astonished… by the speed and thoroughness with which Bridget Phillipson has moved to dismantle every main pillar of the system”.
The government source added: “This government is doing the hard yards of fixing the hundreds of stuck schools that were failed by Spielman and her allies in the Tory party. The government is focused relentlessly on reforming our schools to deliver better life chances for every child.”
Inside PIP: The ‘broken’ health benefit Labour could cut even further
As Labour’s crunch Spring Statement draws near, details of the rumoured cuts to welfare have grown rife.
Reforms to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have now been widely reported, although Labour MPs are divided on the cost-cutting package.
My colleague Albert Toth reports:
Inside PIP: The ‘broken’ health benefit Labour could cut even further
Watch | Diane Abbott rejects idea of disability benefit cuts
Justice minister says ‘constructive’ talks held over ‘two-tier’ sentencing concerns
Justice minister Sir Nic Dakin said talks with the Sentencing Council’s chairman were “constructive” amid concerns over “two-tier” sentencing rules.
He insisted the Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, was “clear about her discontent” and would set out her position before the guidelines take effect in April.
Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the rules, warning they “infect our ancient justice system with the virus of identity politics.”
He accused Ms Mahmood of supporting the guidelines and failing to block them, suggesting she should have “used her powers of appointment to sack the individuals who drafted the rules.”
In response, Sir Nic said Labour was “clearing up the mess left by Conservative governments” and stressed that the process “needs to be allowed to play out.”
Comment | First Thatcherism, now ‘Starmerism’: How welfare reform could be the quiet revolution shaping Labour’s future
We all know that there used to be no such thing as “society” because there was an individualistic “thing” called Thatcherism, Sean O’Grady writes.
Should we, he wonders, now be speaking of “Starmerism”?
Read the full Voices article below:
After Thatcherism, is it now time for ‘Starmerism’?
Minister ‘sad’ about anxiety over sickness benefit changes but says system is ‘failing’
Work and pensions minister Stephen Timms said he was “sad” about the “level of anxiety there has been” over potential changes to sickness benefits, but insisted: “The current welfare system is failing the very people it is supposed to help.”
Liberal Democrat MP Liz Jarvis said her constituents were “desperately concerned about any potential cuts to benefits, including personal independence payments (PIP),” and asked the Government to confirm that “disability benefits for people who are unable to work will not be cut.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Treating people with dignity and respect is at the heart of this Government’s plans,” adding that “disabled people who can work have the same rights and chances to work as everybody else.”
Labour MP David Williams raised concerns about a constituent “badly let down by a flawed PIP assessment” and “deeply worried about what the future holds.”
Ms Kendall responded: “I absolutely want to say… that treating people with dignity and respect is at the heart of this Government’s plans.”
Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan called for investment in disabled people rather than benefit cuts, saying: “Does the minister acknowledge that we will need to invest in those people, to help them, and sustain them, back into work?”
Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern agreed: “We see potential in every single person in this country.”
Ms McGovern also addressed delays in processing access to work applications, stating: “We’ve put more staff in place to deal with that, but we’ve got more to do.”
Breaking | Mike Amesbury resigns
Mike Amesbury has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves formally resigning as the MP for Runcorn & Helsby, after he was handed a suspended prison sentence for punching a man in the street.
Earlier today, Mr Amesbury said he apologised to the constituent he punched, telling GB News: “I’m so sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows, his family, my own family.”
He described reliving the moment as “like a living nightmare” and added: “I’m the one that got things wrong, so I own it.”
Just nine of 29 Reform defectors unveiled in Farage’s ‘special announcement’ are new
Nigel Farage’s unveiling of 29 new Reform UK councillors fell apart within less than an hour as it emerged just nine are new, with only three of those standing for election.
The Reform leader used a press conference at a swanky London hotel on Monday to unveil the slew of new councillors, claiming their defections proved “this party is very much on the up”.
But the lack of high-profile names and a slew of new defectors fed speculation that a steady stream of turncoats has largely dried up as a result of a bitter spat between Mr Farage and Rupert Lowe, the ousted ex-Reform MP.
The Conservatives said Mr Farage was seeking to distract from the open warfare engulfing Reform and hoodwink journalists. Tory officials pointed out that, while Mr Farage claimed all of the councillors had defected in the past two weeks, four had joined Reform a month or more before the press conference.
Read the full report from my colleagues Archie Mitchell and David Maddox here.
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