Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejects 'brutal cuts' to welfare and vows to 'stick to my guns' after Chancellor Healey's U-turn
John Healey, the Chancellor, seeing off a pint of 'Chancellor's Choice' after a long Budget day, in a picture posted on X by Labour MP Dan Tomlinson.
Chancellor John Healey set off a 24-hour spiral of confusion by telling the BBC that welfare spending would fall "in a Labour way" before the next election, only for No 10 to knock back the claim within hours. Burnham, interviewed for an ITV documentary to mark the hundredth day of his premiership, declared he would not resort to "brutal cuts" that would push people "in absolute crisis". Healey then performed a full reversal, stating it was "not correct" to suggest the bill would fall during this parliament.
Kemi Badenoch called it 'astounding', saying Labour had flip-flopped three times in 24 hours and accusing Burnham of 'foot in mouth' spreading to his chancellor.
Burnham also admitted in the ITV interview that he would not have written Labour's 2024 manifesto as it stands, saying the Budget's "room for manoeuvre wasn't what I would have hoped".
