Government announces concessions to welfare bill in ‘screeching U-turn’ June 27, 2025 People who currently receive the personal independence payment (Pip) will continue to do so after the government made concessions to Labour rebels on controversial welfare reforms. A letter from Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall to MPs said adjustments to universal credit would also see incomes protected. The announcement comes after crisis talks with backbenchers, [...]
Westminster upheavals: Labour MPs could resign, Lib Dems courting Tory MPs June 13, 2025 Political intrigue is alive in Whitehall’s corridors, as Labour’s welfare reforms have landed a number of MPs on ‘resignation watch.’ On the benches opposite, Tories on the left of the party are being courted by Lib Dems. Work and Pensions (DWP) secretary Liz Kendall has told the party she will be pushing through with controversial [...]
Rachel Reeves to shake up pensions to boost UK investment June 5, 2025 The government is set to shake up UK pensions today, with Rachel Reeves planning several government-backed megafunds to boost pension wealth and investment. In the most significant reform to the pensions system since 2021, the bill will focus on six areas – from giving the government a “reserve” power to force pension schemes to invest [...]
Reeves’ impossible mission to save the public finances – in four charts May 22, 2025 Government borrowing spiked in April, according to official data, in a stark illustration of the difficult fiscal tightrope that the Chancellor Reeves is walking. The £20.2bn in monthly borrowing was steeper than economists’ prediction of £18bn. So, Reeves might have shivered when she heard Keir Starmer tell the House of Commons winter fuel payments would [...]
Angela Rayner pushes for tax hikes on savers, in split with Reeves May 21, 2025 Angela Rayner reportedly pushed for a £4bn tax raid on wealthier Brits in the lead up to the Spring Statement, in signs of a senior Cabinet level split on economic policy. According to a leaked note reportedly seen by The Telegraph, the Deputy Prime Minister lobbied the Chancellor to introduce billions of pounds of taxes [...]
Rachel Reeves criticises deputy for ‘clumsy’ pocket money comments March 27, 2025 Rachel Reeves has criticised her deputy – Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones – for “clumsy” comments in which he compared slashing disability benefits to taking away a child’s pocket money. The Chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “No, he was clumsy in his analogy, and he’s apologised for that.” She added: “Of [...]
More than half of Brits are ‘reliant on the state’, think tank says March 19, 2025 More than half of the UK population are reliant on the state for income, a leading think tank has said. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall on Tuesday announced a string of welfare reforms aimed at getting Brits back into the workforce. But the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) has suggested that the number of those [...]
Don’t ask business to ‘shoulder more burden’, CBI chief urges March 19, 2025 The government should not “ask businesses to shoulder any more of a burden”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) chief has warned in the wake of the welfare cuts. Work and pensions secretary Lilz Kendall announced on Tuesday a raft of welfare measures she said will help bring more working age people back into jobs. [...]
Welfare reforms: What are the politics of Labour’s benefits changes? March 19, 2025 Over the past few weeks, it’s been hard to avoid reports of the government preparing the ground for a string of changes to the UK’s welfare system. Call it kite flying, pitch rolling, or testing the waters, when work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall got to her feet in the House of Commons on Tuesday, [...]
Liz Kendall unveils welfare reform package aimed at saving £5bn by 2030 March 18, 2025 Liz Kendall has unveiled a major package of reforms to the UK’s welfare system with the aim of saving the government £5bn by 2030.