John Healey was forced into a humiliating climbdown over welfare on Thursday.
asserted
Healey → force → Thursday
The Chancellor triggered chaos in Whitehall after suggesting the runaway benefits bill would be cut before the next election in 'a Labour way'.
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bill → trigger → way
Within hours, the Treasury was trying to row back on his words and Downing Street distanced itself, saying Andy Burnham would not commit to an 'arbitrary timetable' for curbing spending on benefits.
And, last night, Mr Healey reversed his position, saying it was 'not correct to say that we're going to bring this welfare bill down in this Parliament'.
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we → try → Parliament
Kemi Badenoch said it was 'astounding' that the Government could not commit to reducing benefits this decade, despite the costs forecast to rise by more than £60billion by 2029.
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Government → say → 2029
The Tory leader told the Daily Mail: 'Labour is addicted to benefits and this is why they are getting into a mess every day.
'
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they → tell → mess
In just 24 hours, the Chancellor has said there will be no cuts to the benefits bill, gone on the BBC and said actually there will, then had to admit that actually there won't be.
'All while officials scramble to clean up the chaos.
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officials → say → chaos
It appears the Prime Minister's "foot in mouth" is contagious.'
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foot → appear → mouth
John Healey was forced into a humiliating climbdown over welfare on Thursday (Britain's Secretary of State is pictured outside Downing Street)
Kemi Badenoch said it was 'astounding' that the Government could not commit to reducing benefits this decade (The Tory leader is pictured last week)
uncertain
leader → force → benefits
Mrs Badenoch said ministers should be 'cutting welfare, funding defence and slashing red tape to get Britain growing', adding: 'Instead they are tinkering around the edges, too scared to confront their MPs ahead of an early election.'
The row came after new forecasts suggested the welfare bill is set to continue rising sharply following Labour's decision to abandon reforms last year.
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bill → say → reforms
The Centre for Social Justice think-tank revealed that working age and child benefits alone are set to jump by £33.4billion over the next five years.
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age → reveal → years
The increase is so big it will swallow up the entire proceeds of the stealth raid on tax thresholds, which is expected to raise £33.1billion over the same period.
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which → swallow → period
Joe Shalam, policy director at the CSJ, said: 'Public support for a system there to protect the most disadvantaged is being pushed to breaking point.
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support → say → point
A holding position will not fix that.
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position → hold → that
No doubt this will all be addressed in a manifesto that is surely in the post.
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that → address → post
'But Britain cannot wait for an election.
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Britain → wait → election
When the sugar rush wears off, all that will be left is wasted money and wasted potential.
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that → wear → ?
Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility warned that benefits spending has grown so rapidly under Labour that the Government is now on course to break its own generous 'welfare cap'.
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Government → warn → cap
The cap covers most working age benefits but excludes pensions.
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cap → cover → pensions
It was set by the last Conservative government at £135.4billion, only to be lifted by Rachel Reeves to a total of £204.2billion by 2029.
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It → set → 2029
The OBR now predicts that spending covered by the cap is now on course to hit £207billion in 2029, busting the limit by almost £3billion.
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spending → predict → 3billion
Breaking the cap would require ministers to bring forward measures to reduce spending – or justify the breach to Parliament.
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Breaking → break → Parliament
Polling by More in Common found the public believes spending on benefits is 'unsustainable' by a margin of 60:23.
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spending → find → 60:23
Concern cuts across party lines, with Labour voters raising doubts about long-term affordability.
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voters → cut → affordability
The PM yesterday claimed the Government was working 'flat out' to cut spending on benefits and wants to do so 'as soon as we possibly can'.
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we → claim → benefits
Downing Street said two reviews will come next month and a policy paper would follow, but could not say whether it will be published in the next 12 months.
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it → say → months
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is pictured watching Everton on Thursday only hours after Healey faced scrutiny over the Budget
Any reforms are then likely to need legislation.
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reforms → picture → legislation
Eduin Latimer, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the 'most straightforward' way to get 'guaranteed savings' was to cut the level of benefit payments or reduce the number of those eligible, as the Conservatives and Reform are proposing.
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Conservatives → say → those
He added: 'An alternative is to try to invest in support, things like employment support or increased health spending, which might reduce demand for benefit spending.
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which → add → spending
I think that is closer to this suggestion from the Government of a 'Labour way' … but it's much more uncertain.'
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it → think → way
Delivering his Budget on Wednesday, the Chancellor said the Government would 'bring down the welfare bill' but offered no new proposals to cut a bill that is forecast to top £350billion next year.
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that → deliver → 350billion
In an interview broadcast yesterday, but recorded on Wednesday evening, he suggested in response to a question on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there would be welfare cuts before the next general election.
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he → broadcast → election
But Treasury officials insisted his words did not commit the Government to cuts before the election.
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words → insist → election
At the end of a shambolic day, hours after Downing Street had distanced itself, Mr Healey U-turned, saying he had no expectation of making quick savings on welfare.
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he → distance → welfare
Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said Mr Healey had been 'utterly humiliated'.
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Healey → say → ?
He added: 'You can change the Chancellor, but you will never change the Labour Party's addiction to benefits spending.'
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you → add → spending
The Aporia
