Labour will deliver its ‘personal reforms’ to advantages system to make £3bn cuts, says work and pension minister
Labour will deliver its “personal reforms” to the advantages system in an effort to make £3bn price of cuts somewhat than stick with Tory plans, a minister has advised, stories the PA information company.
Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern was requested by Instances Radio why Labour was urgent forward with plans made by the earlier Conservative authorities to reform work functionality guidelines.
She replied:
Like all departments, the Division for Work and Pensions has to make financial savings as a result of we’re in a horrible monetary scenario.
To be clear, on that time we are going to deliver ahead our personal reforms as a result of the final 14 years have been a whole failure in the case of employment.”
Pressed if this meant there could be no cuts, she added:
We is not going to go forward with the Tory plan as a result of that was theirs. We might want to make financial savings like all departments, however we are going to deliver ahead our personal reforms.”
Rachel Reeves will search to make round £3bn of cuts to welfare over the following 4 years by proscribing entry to illness advantages, it’s understood. The chancellor is trying to increase as much as £40bn from tax hikes and spending cuts within the finances as the federal government seeks to keep away from a return to austerity, stories the PA information company.
Elsewhere, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, will be a part of US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin for talks centered largely on the right way to finish the preventing in Ukraine as Russian forces advance within the east and a bleak winter of energy cuts looms.
Extra on that in a second. In different developments and upcoming occasions:
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British overseas secretary David Lammy will meet his counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday to “problem” China on delicate points like Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, as the 2 nations search to rebuild frayed ties. Lammy is the primary British cupboard minister to go to China since Labour prime minister Keir Starmer took workplace in July.
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Rachel Reeves is contemplating elevating the tax on vaping merchandise in her finances this month as figures present {that a} quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes. The chancellor is rising the tax after a session carried out by the final Conservative authorities.
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The chancellor is taking motion to make sure her finances plan for a multibillion-pound enhance in authorities borrowing to fund infrastructure initiatives avoids a Liz Truss-style meltdown in monetary markets. Forward of her tax and spending occasion on 30 October, Reeves is convening on Friday the primary assembly of a taskforce of leading City figures to advise on infrastructure initiatives.
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Kemi Badenoch has criticised a Conservative MP’s suggestion she couldn’t head the Tories as a result of she was too “preoccupied” together with her youngsters, saying “it isn’t all the time girls who’ve parental duties”.
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Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s chief at Westminster, has written to the prime minister urging him to intervene and cease the cuts on this 12 months’s finances. He mentioned, in a letter seen by the PA information company, that Starmer should “take heed to voters and your individual cupboard colleagues: intervene now, overrule the chancellor and cease the cuts, or folks in Scotland won’t ever forgive the Labour social gathering”.
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The Home Office has recruited 200 employees to clear a backlog of 23,300 trendy slavery instances left by the final authorities, a minister has instructed the Guardian. Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, mentioned the division deliberate to finish extended uncertainty and anguish for survivors by finalising the instances inside two years.
Key occasions
Dwelling Workplace hires 200 employees to clear large backlog of UK trendy slavery instances
Rajeev Syal
The Home Office has recruited 200 employees to clear a backlog of 23,300 trendy slavery instances left by the final authorities, a minister has instructed the Guardian.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, mentioned the division deliberate to finish extended uncertainty and anguish for survivors by finalising the instances inside two years.
It follows stories that some trafficked survivors have been ready years to be outlined as victims of modern slavery.
There are an estimated 130,000 victims of recent slavery within the UK, trapped in sectors together with agriculture, prostitution and care. Most have suffered traumatic sexual, bodily and financial abuse however face lengthy delays in having their standing confirmed via the Nationwide Referral Mechanism (NRM).
The purpose of the NRM is to guard folks from additional abuse as soon as they’re now not being managed by their traffickers by offering protected housing, counselling and different assist to assist them get well from their ordeal.
Phillips, who met survivors of recent slavery on Thursday at Salvation Military premises in Denmark Hill, south London, mentioned that the federal government was trying to proper a flawed by issuing a last resolution within the course of.
“For too lengthy, trendy slavery survivors and the harrowing experiences they’ve lived via haven’t been given the eye and assist they deserve,” she mentioned.
“That is going to alter. The actions I’ve introduced at this time are a primary step in the direction of placing survivors first, eradicating the backlog of recent slavery instances to present victims the readability and peace of thoughts they should transfer on with their lives.”
Murray Foote was praised by first minister and SNP chief John Swinney, who hailed his “vital contribution” to the social gathering.
“Once I turned chief of the SNP, I promised to ship an expert, trendy, dynamic, election-winning organisation – and Murray’s successor will construct on the work he has began,” he mentioned.
He added:
I want to prolong my honest due to Murray for his dedication and dedication to the Scottish Nationwide Occasion, and to independence, and I want he and his household all the perfect for the long run.”
Foote mentioned he would “all the time be grateful” for being given the function, including:
I additionally imagine that in first minister John Swinney, our social gathering has the appropriate chief on the proper time to advance the reason for Scottish independence and I look to the long run with renewed optimism as I assist him in that trigger.”
My colleagues Peter Walker and Rosie Anfilogoff have put collectively this useful piece on the 5 key takeaways from final night time’s Tory debate.
Badenoch and Jenrick spar over visions for way forward for Tory social gathering in TV debate
Peter Walker
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have attacked one another’s visions for the way forward for the Conservative social gathering, in a typically low-key debate which may nonetheless show vital in who turns into the following opposition chief.
The occasion on GB Information, the one debate scheduled, concerned the pair taking turns to sort out questions from viewers members somewhat than going face to face, however featured notable variations of opinion on technique and insurance policies comparable to immigration.
Jenrick, going first, repeatedly pledged to “finish the drama” within the Tory social gathering, seen as a coded reference to Badenoch’s typically flamable method.
Badenoch was well mannered about her opponent as an individual however scathing when it got here to his suite of headline insurance policies, notably Jenrick’s repeated pledge to right away give up the European conference on human rights (ECHR), which he once more styled on Thursday as a Brexit-type “go away or stay” problem.
Badenoch argued the thought was a distraction from larger worries and never correctly thought-out.
“We have to cease blaming the EU or worldwide agreements and begin fixing issues right here ourselves,” she mentioned.
Leaving the ECHR was “not dissimilar to leaving the EU by way of the results”, Badenoch mentioned, in that there could possibly be vital repercussions for Northern Eire, the place the conference kinds an integral a part of the peace course of.
Badenoch, who gained noticably extra applause than Jenrick from the viewers of Tory members and received a post-event present of arms, criticised Jenrick’s coverage focus, saying that with an election nonetheless far-off, the social gathering wanted to first have a look at its fundamentals.
You’ll be able to learn the complete recap by Peter Walker right here:
SNP chief government Murray Foote publicizes he’ll stand down
SNP chief government Murray Foote has introduced he’ll stand down, saying in an announcement he couldn’t make the “vital private dedication” to delivering change within the social gathering forward of the 2026 Holyrood election, stories the PA information company.
The previous Every day Report editor was appointed to the function in a shocking transfer in 2023 after beforehand resigning because the social gathering’s head of communications in a row with former chief government – and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband – Peter Murrell over membership numbers.
“The SNP has not too long ago launched into a considerable strategy of inside reorganisation and renewal to raised equip it for present electoral contests and to arrange for the important Scottish parliament elections in 2026,” he mentioned in an announcement.
He added:
Whereas I agree these adjustments are each important and applicable, I additionally recognised after a interval of reflection that I couldn’t make the required private dedication to main the supply of those adjustments into 2026 and past.
Within the circumstances, I concluded it might be in my finest pursuits and the perfect pursuits of the social gathering that I step down to present my alternative the time and area to mould and develop these adjustments in a fashion they deem applicable.”
The PA information company stories that Foote will keep within the function till a successor is appointed.
The chancellor will maintain talks with Metropolis bosses on Friday on the first assembly of Labour’s British infrastructure taskforce, as the federal government seeks recommendation on the right way to enhance funding within the UK.
Finance leaders from HSBC, Lloyds and M&G shall be amongst these concerned within the discussions, which the Treasury says will happen frequently.
Rachel Reeves mentioned their experience shall be “invaluable within the weeks and months forward” as the federal government pursues its “primary mission to develop the economic system and create jobs”, based on the PA information company.
Chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones mentioned the taskforce would purpose to finish “the cycle of underinvestment that has plagued our infrastructure techniques for over a decade.”
Rachel Reeves will search to make about £3bn of cuts to welfare over the following 4 years by proscribing entry to illness advantages, it’s understood, based on the PA information company.
The chancellor is anticipated to decide to the earlier Tory authorities’s plans to avoid wasting the sum by reforming work functionality guidelines, as first reported by the Telegraph.
Beneath Conservative proposals, welfare eligibility would have been tightened in order that about 400,000 extra people who find themselves signed off long-term could be assessed as needing to arrange for employment by 2028/29, lowering the advantages invoice by an estimated £3bn.
The PA information company stories that tt is known that Reeves will decide to the plan to avoid wasting £3bn over 4 years, however work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will determine how the system shall be modified in an effort to obtain this.
A authorities spokesperson mentioned:
We’ve got all the time mentioned that the work functionality evaluation shouldn’t be working and must be reformed or changed alongside a correct plan to assist disabled folks to work.
We’ll ship financial savings via our personal reforms, together with real assist to assist disabled folks into work.”
Reeves is trying to increase as much as £40bn from tax will increase and spending cuts within the finances as the federal government seeks to keep away from a return to austerity.
Keir Starmer on Thursday confronted a cupboard backlash over the deliberate measures, with a number of ministers writing to the prime minister instantly to precise concern about proposals to scale back their departmental spending by as a lot as 20%.
Downing Avenue warned that “not each division will have the ability to do every thing they wish to” and “robust choices” must be made.
Based on the PA information company, the prime minister’s official spokesperson confirmed Starmer and Reeves had agreed on the “main measures” of the finances, together with the “spending envelope” that units out limits for particular person Whitehall departments.
Whereas some spending cuts are all however inevitable, tax rises are anticipated to kind the centrepiece of Reeves’ plans to fill what the Labour authorities calls a “black gap” within the public funds left behind by its Tory predecessors.
Reviews recommend capital positive factors tax and inheritance tax are amongst a few of the levers the chancellor will pull to boost income as she seeks to place the economic system on a firmer footing.
Labour will deliver its ‘personal reforms’ to advantages system to make £3bn cuts, says work and pension minister
Labour will deliver its “personal reforms” to the advantages system in an effort to make £3bn price of cuts somewhat than stick with Tory plans, a minister has advised, stories the PA information company.
Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern was requested by Instances Radio why Labour was urgent forward with plans made by the earlier Conservative authorities to reform work functionality guidelines.
She replied:
Like all departments, the Division for Work and Pensions has to make financial savings as a result of we’re in a horrible monetary scenario.
To be clear, on that time we are going to deliver ahead our personal reforms as a result of the final 14 years have been a whole failure in the case of employment.”
Pressed if this meant there could be no cuts, she added:
We is not going to go forward with the Tory plan as a result of that was theirs. We might want to make financial savings like all departments, however we are going to deliver ahead our personal reforms.”
Rachel Reeves will search to make round £3bn of cuts to welfare over the following 4 years by proscribing entry to illness advantages, it’s understood. The chancellor is trying to increase as much as £40bn from tax hikes and spending cuts within the finances as the federal government seeks to keep away from a return to austerity, stories the PA information company.
Elsewhere, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, will be a part of US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin for talks centered largely on the right way to finish the preventing in Ukraine as Russian forces advance within the east and a bleak winter of energy cuts looms.
Extra on that in a second. In different developments and upcoming occasions:
-
British overseas secretary David Lammy will meet his counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday to “problem” China on delicate points like Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, as the 2 nations search to rebuild frayed ties. Lammy is the primary British cupboard minister to go to China since Labour prime minister Keir Starmer took workplace in July.
-
Rachel Reeves is contemplating elevating the tax on vaping merchandise in her finances this month as figures present {that a} quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes. The chancellor is rising the tax after a session carried out by the final Conservative authorities.
-
The chancellor is taking motion to make sure her finances plan for a multibillion-pound enhance in authorities borrowing to fund infrastructure initiatives avoids a Liz Truss-style meltdown in monetary markets. Forward of her tax and spending occasion on 30 October, Reeves is convening on Friday the primary assembly of a taskforce of leading City figures to advise on infrastructure initiatives.
-
Kemi Badenoch has criticised a Conservative MP’s suggestion she couldn’t head the Tories as a result of she was too “preoccupied” together with her youngsters, saying “it isn’t all the time girls who’ve parental duties”.
-
Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s chief at Westminster, has written to the prime minister urging him to intervene and cease the cuts on this 12 months’s finances. He mentioned, in a letter seen by the PA information company, that Starmer should “take heed to voters and your individual cupboard colleagues: intervene now, overrule the chancellor and cease the cuts, or folks in Scotland won’t ever forgive the Labour social gathering”.
-
The Home Office has recruited 200 employees to clear a backlog of 23,300 trendy slavery instances left by the final authorities, a minister has instructed the Guardian. Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, mentioned the division deliberate to finish extended uncertainty and anguish for survivors by finalising the instances inside two years.