Louise Haigh refuses to rule out tax rises or say WHEN the welfare bill will fall at PMQs
Louise Haigh, standing in as First Secretary of State at PMQs, declined to say when welfare spending — projected to reach £431bn by 2031-32 — would start falling.
Louise Haigh, filling in for Prime Minister Andy Burnham at PMQs while he attends the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, repeatedly batted away Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart's demands for a timetable on cutting the welfare bill. The First Secretary of State would not commit to reductions happening within this Parliament, saying only that the bill "will come down" without specifying when.
Working-age welfare now stands at a record £183bn, with total spending forecast to rise from £353bn this year to £431bn by 2031-32.
Burghart accused Labour of delaying the Alan Milburn review into youth unemployment until after last week's Budget, warning the bill rises "every single year of this Parliament."
Chancellor John Healey had already sparked confusion after vowing cuts before the election, then recanting after being slapped down by No 10.
