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.
Civil Service credit cards to be frozen after bill soars to £675m
Civil Service credit cards will be frozen this week under plans to reduce their numbers by 50 per cent and slash government spending.
Days after Sir Keir Starmer vowed to reshape the “flabby” state and slash the cost of bureaucracy, the Cabinet Office will order almost all of the 20,000 procurement cards used by civil servants to be frozen.
The spend on the credit cards jumped from £155m in 2020-21 to £675m in 2024-25.
To regain access to the cards, civil servants will need to reapply and justify why they need them – or they will be cancelled at the end of the month.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said the so-called government procurement cards should only be provided to officials when it is “absolutely essential”. Those used by diplomatic staff in unstable environments will be among a small number exempt from the freeze.
King welcomes Canadian PM Mark Carney
The King welcomed Canadian prime minister Mark Carney to Buckingham Palace on Monday afternoon, in an audience which comes amid Canada’s trade war with the US and Donald Trump’s vow to make the country America’s 51st state.
Charles, who is King of Canada, met with Mr Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, in the 1844 Room of the royal residence in London. The King was pictured grinning as he shook Mr Carney’s hand.
They have encountered one another several times before, but this is first time since Mr Carney became leader of the Liberal Party and Canada’s prime minister, in place of Justin Trudeau.
Lammy says ‘operational detail’ of British peacekeeping force to be discussed this week
Foreign secretary David Lammy has said a London meeting this week will be used to discuss the “operational detail” of British troops in Ukraine.
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel asked about a “peacekeeping initiative” in eastern Europe and said: “What will our contribution to peacekeeping consist of? Over what timeframe would deployment be launched and how will our armed forces be supported?”
Mr Lammy said in his response: “The UK is prepared of course to consider British committing troops on the ground but there must be a US backstop.
“There is a further meeting in London this week to continue to get into the operational detail.”
Watch: Farage addresses Rupert Lowe ‘turbulence’
Runcorn & Helsby: Labour defending near-14,700 majority over Reform
Mike Amesbury has triggered the process that will lead to a parliamentary by-election in Runcorn &, Helsby, a seat he won for Labour at the 2024 general election with a majority of 14,696.
It was one of the 50 largest majorities achieved by Sir Keir Starmer’s party on polling day.
Mr Amesbury took 53% of the vote, with Reform in a distant second place on 18%, followed by the Conservatives (16%), the Greens (6%) and the Liberal Democrats (5%).
Runcorn & Helsby is a new constituency that was fought for the first time at the 2024 election.
Had the seat existed at the previous general election in 2019, notional data suggests Labour would have won but on a slightly lower share of the vote (49%) than Mr Amesbury achieved in 2024, with the Tories in second place.
Based on the 2024 result, Reform would need a swing in the share of the vote of 17.4 percentage points to gain Runcorn & Helsby.
This is the equivalent of a net change of 18 in every 100 people who voted Labour in 2024 switching to Reform.
A date has yet to be announced for the by-election in Runcorn & Helsby, which will be the first such contest since the 2024 general election.
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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:
Source: independent.co.uk
