Chancellor John Healey STILL refuses to give a timetable for benefits cuts and blames 'simply wrong' reporting for welfare confusion
An Opinium poll conducted 28–30 October found 60 per cent of Britons believe the Budget merely tinkered with small things, failing to address welfare and defence.
Chancellor John Healey appeared on the BBC's 'Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg' and insisted the overall benefits bill "will come down under Labour", blaming media for "simply wrong" reporting after a week of chaotic mixed signals. He refused once again to name any date for when savings would materialise, saying only that legislative changes would begin next year following two reviews due this month. Burnham's former adviser warned debt markets remain unsettled by the Budget's lack of fiscal discipline.
The OBR has warned sickness and disability benefits could hit £100bn a year before the decade ends.
Kemi Badenoch accused Healey of leaving a £49bn black hole, warning every household faces £1,700 in extra taxes by 2030-31 to cover unfunded spending promises.
Robert Jenrick claimed the Budget's early-election framing proves Labour knows the public finances will deteriorate sharply before 2029.
