PM Andy Burnham rejects 'brutal cuts' to welfare after Chancellor John Healey's U-turn on cutting benefits before the election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaking to ITV News, with NatWest chief executive Paul Thwaite among those criticising Chancellor John Healey for lacking ambition on growth.Andy Burnham in Glasgow, where he chaired his first National Economic Council and pledged no nation would be "left behind" on devolution.
Government policy on welfare descended into open confusion on Friday after Chancellor John Healey appeared to entirely reverse his Budget stance, telling Channel 4 it was "not correct to say that we're going to bring this welfare bill down in this Parliament." PM Andy Burnham insisted he is "pioneering a new approach" while ruling out what he called "brutal cuts" that would leave people "in absolute crisis." Welfare spending is forecast to soar to £431.3 billion by 2031/32, with the Office for Budget Responsibility pointing to rising incapacity benefit claims as the main driver.
Healey had alarmed aides after the Budget when remarks he made were taken as a pledge to reduce benefits ahead of the next election.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting compounded the chaos by arguing Healey had still not ruled out pre-election cuts despite Downing Street insisting there was no 'arbitrary timetable'.
Burnham addressed the row in an ITV documentary marking his first 100 days in No 10, filmed the previous evening at Everton's stadium.
