Rachel Reeves is set to announce the biggest spending cuts since austerity in her spring statement, according to reports.
Certain departments could face reductions of up to seven per cent over the next four years as the chancellor looks to slash Whitehall budgets by billions of pounds more than previously thought, the Guardian reported.
Having reportedly ruled out tax rises, Ms Reeves is set to tell MPs her plans next Wednesday, with experts warning fresh cuts would hit vital public services, a week after her party slashed the welfare bill by around £5 billion.
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer and Diane Abbott clashed at PMQs, after the veteran Labour MP warned there was “nothing moral” about the move to axe around one million people’s disability benefits.
As the government faces condemnation from charities, unions and some of its own MPs, Ms Abbott told him: “This is not about morality, this is about the Treasury’s wish to balance the country’s books on the back of the most vulnerable and poor people in this society.”
But Sir Keir insisted that it is a “moral issue” that one-in-eight young people are not in employment, education or training. “I’m not going to turn away from that”, he said, adding: “I am genuinely shocked that a million people, young people, are in that position, and I’m not prepared to shrug my shoulders and walk past it.”
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch criticised the government’s handling of the economy and finances, asking the PM: “The Chancellor claimed that her Budget was a once in a parliamentary reset – so why are we having an emergency Budget next week?”
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Key Points
- Rachel Reeves 'to announce biggest spending cuts since austerity' in spring statement
- Chancellor 'rules out increasing taxes' ahead of spring statement
- Appoint minister for men to tackle male underachievement, report suggests
Rate of unemployment remains unchanged
07:33
,
Bryony Gooch
The rate of UK unemployment has remained unchanged at 4.4 per cent in the the three months to January, the Office for National Statistics has said.
They also reported that UK average regular earnings growth remained at 5.9 per cent in the three months to January and was 3.2 per cent higher after taking Consumer Prices Index inflation into account.
Ambassadors to be judged on ability to generate trade for UK, says Lammy
07:24
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Bryony Gooch
Foreign secretary David Lammy is set to announce a packet of measures intending to open up diplomatic expertise to businesses, as he said that Ambassadors will be judged on their ability to drum up trade for Britain under plans to forge deeper ties between industry and diplomacy.
Mr Lammy will announce the measures at a British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) conference in London.
He will say: “I will always put the economic interests of workers and businesses at the heart of our foreign policy.
“To realise our growth mission, we need to deepen the links between the people sat in this room today, and the civil servants in Whitehall.”
The changes come as governments around the world grapple with the economic changes triggered by Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the risk of global tariff wars as a result of his policies.
Under the plans ambassadors will be held accountable to a new delivery board for trade and investment wins overseas.
Starmer backs calls from Gareth Southgate and Adolescence stars to tackle culture of young male violence
07:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Watch |
06:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Disadvantaged children could be ‘priced out’ of expansion to funded childcare
04:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Disadvantaged children could be being “priced out” of accessing the same early years education as their peers in working families due to the Government’s expansion of funded childcare, a report has warned.
Families who are not in work, or do not earn enough to be eligible for new funded childcare entitlements in England, will pay around £105 a week more than eligible working families for a part-time nursery place for a child under two, a survey by the Coram Family and Childcare charity has suggested.
A report by the charity said the gap between entitlements for disadvantaged children and those with working parents is “now wider than at any other time” and is set to get “even wider” later this year.
The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds.
Working parents of children older than nine months are also now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full roll-out of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September.
A part-time nursery place (25 hours per week) for a child under two now costs an average of £70.51 per week in England after working-parent entitlements are accounted for – which is down by 56% on 2024.
But the survey suggested that for families ineligible for the 15 hours of funded childcare for working parents, a 25-hour part-time nursery place for a child under two-years-old costs £176.27 per week.
Submarine building at Barrow a ‘blueprint’ for UK growth, Starmer says
03:01
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Jabed Ahmed
Barrow-in-Furness is a “blueprint” for how increasing defence spending can boost prosperity across the UK, the Prime Minister has said ahead of a visit to the town at the heart of Britain’s submarine-building industry.
Sir Keir Starmer will lay the keel for the next generation of Britain’s nuclear deterrent submarines when he visits the Cumbrian town on Thursday, as he argues his plans to boost defence spending will help fulfil his mission to grow the economy.
Just days ago, Sir Keir secretly joined a crew of submariners as they returned home to their families for the first time in months, making him the first Prime Minister to join a so-called “day zero” since 2013.
The King is meanwhile due to confer the Port of Barrow with the title “Royal”, to recognise the town’s contribution towards national security as a hub of submarine building.
The Prime Minister said: “When I say that our Plan for Change is delivering security for working people and renewal for our country, there is no better blueprint than Barrow.
“Defence spending here is supporting highly skilled jobs, driving opportunities for young people and delivering world class capabilities to keep us all safe, but it’s also crucially putting money in the pockets of hardworking people.”
Brexit much less damaging to British exports than claimed, says Hunt
01:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Brexit had “much less impact on British exports to the EU” than previously thought, Conservative former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said.
The senior Tory MP also warned ministers against choosing between closer ties with the US or Europe, as he gave his name to research that contests analysis of Brexit’s damaging impact on outward trade.
Centre-right think tank Policy Exchange claimed the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) modelling for how the vote to leave the EU had impacted British exports had been overstated.
In a foreword for the report, Mr Hunt – who voted remain in the Brexit referendum – said he believed “many claims about the impact of Brexit upon the UK’s economy were overly exaggerated”, but also said the same was true of the “more hyperbolic claims of some Brexiteers about its benefits”.
He added: “This excellent paper by Policy Exchange clearly demonstrates that Brexit has had much less impact on British exports to the EU than has been previously thought.
“Policy Exchange’s work in this area should be carefully scrutinised by the OBR when they next update their models.”
The think tank’s report said official analysis of Brexit’s impact had only taken into account the fall in the volume of exports, and not its value.
While the number of vehicle exports are down 28% compared with 2019, the value of exports has only decreased by 2% in the same period, the think tank claimed.
Appoint minister for men to tackle male underachievement, report suggests
00:01
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Jabed Ahmed
A “boy-positive” learning environment should be developed in schools and the Government should appoint a minister for men to tackle gender disparities in education, a report has suggested.
The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has said a dedicated strategy is needed to tackle attainment differences between men and women to address “one of the most egregious issues” affecting education and society.
There is a risk of “under-educated men veering towards the political extremes” if male underachievement is not tackled, the report has warned.
The report has called for ministers to learn from the push to get more women into scientific roles to get more men into the teaching, care and nursing professions, where they are currently underrepresented.
The Government could appoint a junior “Minister for Men and Boys” or a named minister specifically tasked with addressing the educational underachievement of male pupils and students, the report said.
Chancellor 'rules out increasing taxes' ahead of spring statement
Wednesday 19 March 2025 23:13
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Tara Cobham
Rachel Reeves has reportedly ruled out increasing taxes ahead of her spring statement.
Despite facing a budget deficit, government sources have confirmed to the Guardian that the chancellor is not set to announce any tax hikes next Wednesday.
The Tories have claimed that Ms Reeves is looking to introduce a stealth income tax raid that would involve freezing the threshold at which taxpayers start paying it – a move she has not ruled out for later in the year, depending on how well the economy fares over the next months.
Rachel Reeves 'to announce biggest spending cuts since austerity' in spring statement
Wednesday 19 March 2025 23:08
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Tara Cobham
Rachel Reeves is reportedly set to announce the biggest spending cuts since austerity in her spring statement.
Certain departments could face reductions of up to seven per cent over the next four years as the chancellor looks to slash Whitehall budgets by billions of pounds more than previously thought, the Guardian reported.
Experts warn the cuts will hit vital public services after Labour pledged to reverse the years of decline seen under the Tories.
Ms Reeves is set to tell MPs her plans next Wednesday, a week after her party slashed the benefits bill by around £5 billion.
A Whitehall source told the newspaper: “The government has been clear that departments will have to find more efficiencies. That is why Wes Streeting [the health secretary] has cut NHS England, that is why Liz Kendall [the work and pensions secretary] has made reductions to welfare payments.”
Another added: “I don’t know how much longer we can go on pretending this is not austerity, when the reality is we’re making cuts to vital public services such as police and prisons.”
The associate director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Ben Zaranko, said: “The government will be hoping that the short-term cash injection provided last year, and efficiency improvements as public services continue to recover from the pandemic, will be enough to deliver service improvements even if money is tight.
“But we’re in a very different world to 2010 and, even though the pace of cuts would be substantially slower than in the peak austerity years, it would still represent the steepest cuts since 2019.
“It is difficult to see how this could be delivered without some adverse impacts on public services and those who rely on them.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed benefit cuts have sparked debate among Independent readers. A poll found 68 per cent oppose the changes, fearing they harm disabled and chronically ill individuals. Many argued the reforms ignore fluctuating conditions, making rigid assessments unfair. However, a minority supported the changes, citing welfare system overuse. Here's what you had to say.
Wednesday 19 March 2025 22:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Readers clash over Labour’s benefit reforms
Wednesday 19 March 2025 21:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed benefit cuts have sparked debate among Independent readers.
A poll found 68 per cent oppose the changes, fearing they harm disabled and chronically ill individuals.
Many argued the reforms ignore fluctuating conditions, making rigid assessments unfair.
However, a minority supported the changes, citing welfare system overuse.
Martin Lewis warns Labour £5bn benefits cuts are ‘fraught with challenges’
Wednesday 19 March 2025 20:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Watch | Labour minister challenged to live on £70 a week after backlash to benefits cuts
Wednesday 19 March 2025 19:00
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Jabed Ahmed
Locations of grooming gang inquiries to be revealed ‘very soon’ – minister
Wednesday 19 March 2025 18:00
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Jabed Ahmed
The locations of upcoming grooming gang inquiries will be revealed “very soon”, equalities minister Jess Phillips has told the Commons.
Shadow equalities minister Mims Davies had pressed the Government to disclose the remaining areas conducting local inquiries, with Oldham already being named as one of them.
During women and equalities questions, Ms Phillips asked for “patience” and said the Government’s plans would “come before Easter”.
Ms Phillips addee: “What the Government plans to do is more than what was done before, and what I would say is the House should expect an update very soon on exactly all of the plans.
“As the Home Secretary (said), when she laid out her plans, that it would come before Easter. I beg of (Ms Davies) the patience she offered her own government when they offered none of this.”
For context,
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a country-wide audit looking into the scale and nature of “gang-based exploitation” earlier this year, in addition to local reviews into grooming in up to five areas.
This came after the issue gained international attention when tech billionaire Elon Musk posted a series of attacks aimed at the prime minister.
Brexit created ‘mind blowing’ 2bn extra pieces of paperwork - enough to wrap around world 15 times
Wednesday 19 March 2025 17:01
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Jabed Ahmed
Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Criticism of PPE contract system ‘wholly naive’, Hancock tells Covid inquiry
Wednesday 19 March 2025 16:46
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Jabed Ahmed
Matt Hancock has described criticism of the so-called “VIP lane” contracts granted to some suppliers during the coronavirus pandemic as “wholly naive” to the circumstances the country faced at the time.
He also claimed the line of questioning on the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the Covid-19 Inquiry could have “a material consequence” on the response to future crises.
The former health secretary gave evidence to the probe’s fifth module, which is exploring pandemic procurement, in London on Wednesday.
Inquiry counsel Richard Wald cited previous evidence which described the “VIP lane” as “problematic from a broader perspective”.
Mr Hancock said: added: “The point about naivety is really, really important.
“It’s fine having academics write papers about this stuff, and some of the academic analysis of how you could do better in a future pandemic is really, really valuable.
“But it can only have any value at all if you understand what it was like. You know, you weren’t there. This professor wasn’t there. But you’ve got to understand what it was like.
“The pressure to save lives is intense, but so is the reality that high-quality offers will come through and be sent through to senior decision makers, and you have to have a process for dealing with that.”
Minister defending Labour’s £5bn benefits cuts admits he couldn’t live on £70 a week
Wednesday 19 March 2025 16:44
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Jabed Ahmed
MPs Debate National Insurance Increase
Wednesday 19 March 2025 16:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Treasury Minister James Murray opened the debate, defending the national insurance increase as a necessary step to fund public services:
- "We have had to take difficult but necessary decisions to repair the public finances and rebuild our public services."
- He warned that accepting Lords amendments to exempt certain sectors would lead to "higher borrowing, lower spending or other tax rises."
John Milne (Lib Dem, Horsham) challenged this approach, asking:
- "Would the minister agree that it is impossible to improve the public sector by taxing the public sector?"
Wendy Morton (Con) accused the government of contradicting itself:
- "The Government appears to be giving with one hand but taking away with the other."
Sir Roger Gale (Con) criticised the impact on hospices, saying:
- "The national insurance increase is hitting directly the people that do the work upon which very sick children depend."
Gareth Davies (Con, Shadow Treasury Minister) claimed Labour was breaking promises and raising the tax burden to record levels:
- "This is a Labour national insurance Bill that will take the tax burden, unbelievably, to the highest level in history, on the backs of working people."
Daisy Cooper (Lib Dem) argued that the Lords’ amendments were essential to protect small businesses, charities, and care providers:
- "This jobs tax is damaging to growth and self-defeating for our health and care services."
Neil Duncan-Jordan (Lab, Poole) warned that rejecting the Lords’ amendments could leave children with special educational needs (Send) without school transport:
- "This is not just a technical change... It’s a direct threat to the futures of vulnerable children and their families."
James MacCleary (Lib Dem, Lewes) highlighted the double impact of the tax rise on healthcare providers, as they also face increased demand due to recent benefit cuts:
- "At the same time as these tax hikes, ministers are cutting vital benefits such as personal independence payment, leaving thousands of vulnerable people struggling to afford the basics."
Chancellor tells National Wealth Fund to back ‘higher risk’ projects
Wednesday 19 March 2025 16:16
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Jabed Ahmed
Rachel Reeves has told the National Wealth Fund to take on higher risk projects as part of the Government’s efforts to improve economic growth.
The Chancellor said she hopes the wealth fund, which was set up last year, will unlock £70 billion in private investment in the UK.
As part of a new strategic steer, the Chancellor has called on the investment vehicle to consider “higher risk” opportunities in the hope it will drive faster growth.
The Chancellor confirmed that the fund’s economic capital limit will be increased from £4.5 billion to £7 billion, allowing it absorb greater risk and back more projects which could struggle to access private finance.
For context,
It comes after the Government called on regulators to cut red tape in recent months, suggesting that bureaucracy and caution has affected growth prospects.
Ms Reeves has previously indicated that the UK economy will need faster growth in order to help support long-term Government spending plans.
First person | I’m a single mother with MS on benefits – Labour’s welfare cuts will ruin us
Wednesday 19 March 2025 15:59
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Jabed Ahmed
Badenoch branded a 'climate defeatist' by No10
Wednesday 19 March 2025 15:29
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Jabed Ahmed
Kemi Badenoch has become a “climate defeatist” Downing Street has said.
Asked whether the Prime Minister believed net zero would boost living standards across the UK, his press secretary said: “Absolutely… net zero is an opportunity to be seized.
“It’s good for the economy, good for UK businesses, jobs, apprenticeships and growth.
“The leader of the Opposition has become a climate defeatist.”
For context,
- Yesterday, Kemi Badenoch said she will task shadow ministers with finding “achievable solutions” to delivering cheap, clean energy after declaring that reaching net zero by 2050 is “impossible”.
- The Conservative leader said it was time to “get real” about the target during a speech to launch the party’s policy renewal process in London.
- She said that net zero by 2050 cannot be achieved without “a significant drop in our living standards, or worse, by bankrupting us.”
Number of young people work-limiting mental health conditions doubles since 2015
Wednesday 19 March 2025 15:13
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Jabed Ahmed
The number of 16 to 34-year-olds in the UK with a work-limiting mental health condition is estimated to have more than doubled from 416,086 in 2015 to 949,469 in 2024.
By contrast, the number of 35 to 49-year-olds with this condition has risen 45% over the same period, from 409,618 to 594,829, while the number for 50 to 64-year-olds has risen 64% from 339,750 to 558,157, figures from the Department for Work & Pensions show.
The number of 16 to 34-year-olds with a work-limiting condition due to autism and learning difficulties is estimated to have more than trebled, from 150,121 in 2015 to 511,734 in 2024.
The figure has more than doubled for both 35 to 49-year-olds (from 39,664 to 85,066) and 50 to 64-year-olds (15,240 to 36,718).
No 10 says Putin's refusal to accept Trump ceasefire is ‘disappointing’
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:52
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Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin's refusal to accept an immediate ceasefire without conditions is “disappointing”, Downing Street has said.
The prime minister's official spokesperson told reporters: “We obviously welcome President Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire in this space, but it is also disappointing that Putin has not agreed to a full-on, immediate ceasefire without conditions, as Ukraine has done.”
MPs laugh as Lee Anderson says he ‘asks sensible questions’ in Commons
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:40
,
Andy Gregory
Reform MP Lee Anderson drew a wave of laughter from MPs as he claimed to come to the Commons every week “to ask sensible questions”.
He then proceeded to ask the prime minister what he called “a very simple question on behalf of all the net zero sceptics”, asking: “If we became net zero tomorrow, by how much would it reduce the Earth’s temperature by?”
According to the Royal Society, even if greenhouse gas emissions were to suddenly stop, the Earth’s surface temperature would require thousands of years to cool and return to the level in the pre-industrial era. But leading scientists say that reaching net zero is the only way to stop potentially catastrophic further warming in the years to come.
Bingo.
— Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) March 19, 2025
I asked the PM a question today.
Do you think I got a straight answer?
pic.twitter.com/L02vedm9qS
Watch: Farage ‘can’t even lead party that fits in back of a taxi’, jokes Starmer
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:28
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Andy Gregory
Sir Keir Starmer hit out at Nigel Farage during PMQs, saying he “can't even lead a party that fits in the back of a taxi”, reports our political correspondent Millie Cooke.
Starmer backs calls from Gareth Southgate and Adolescence stars to tackle culture of young male violence
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:17
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Jabed Ahmed
Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
UK sickness-related economic inactivity prejected to rise 61% by 2030
Wednesday 19 March 2025 14:06
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Jabed Ahmed
The proportion of the UK workforce who are economically inactive because of sickness is projected to rise from 5.4% in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 to 8.0% in 2030, new figures show.
People are classed as economically inactive if they are of working age (16 to 64 years old) and not in employment but not currently looking for work.
The figures are projections, not forecasts or predictions, as they have been modelled on trends over the past five years.
They have been published by the Department for Work & Pensions using data from the Annual Population Survey, Labour Force Survey and the latest Office for National Statistics population projections.
The number of people in the UK workforce who are economically inactive because of sickness is projected to rise from 2.25 million in 2019 to 3.62 million in 2030 – a jump of 61%.
However, over the same period the proportion of the workforce economically inactive for all other reasons – including study, care or early retirement – is projected to fall, from 15.3% to 12.1%.
Trussell Trust says people are 'terrified of how they might survive' after welfare cuts
Wednesday 19 March 2025 13:57
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Jabed Ahmed
Helen Barnard, director of policy, research and impact at Trussell, said: “We’re deeply concerned by the cuts announced to disability payments today. People at food banks have told us they are terrified of how they might survive.
“We welcome the positive proposals from the Department for Work and Pensions to boost the basic rate to Universal Credit and invest in employment support.
“However, we fear these steps will be undermined by a Treasury drive to make short-term savings. Huge cuts risk pushing more disabled people to the doors of food banks, and will have devastating consequences for us all.
“The UK government was elected on manifesto pledges to end the need for emergency food parcels. This isn’t what people voted for.
“Disabled people are already three times more likely to face hunger, and three quarters of people at food banks are disabled or live with someone who is. Our social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, able to be there for us all, especially when we need it most.
“This isn’t a done deal. With at least a year before any cuts come into force, there’s still time for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to rethink and make good on today’s promise to restore trust and fairness in the social security system.”
Martin Lewis warns Labour £5bn benefits cuts are ‘fraught with challenges’
Wednesday 19 March 2025 13:36
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Jabed Ahmed
My colleague Albert Toth reports:
Watch | MPs discuss Netflix's Adolescence in bid to stop violence against women and girls
Wednesday 19 March 2025 13:23
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Jabed Ahmed
‘Sickness not work has paid far too long’, warns leading thinktank after Labour’s £5bn benefit reforms
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:54
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Jabed Ahmed
Our Political Editor David Maddox reports:
Labour MP condemns Starmer over benefits overhaul
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:59
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Jabed Ahmed
Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, has warned Sir Keir Starmer the government will face “the mother of all rebellions” if it does not drop its welfare reforms.
Writing on X, Mr Burgon said: “The Prime Minister was unable to answer a simple question today about why a disabled person who needs help to eat, wash and manage toilet needs could no longer get PIP under his proposals.
“The Government must drop this cruel proposal or it’ll face the mother of all rebellions.”
Starmer says Tories are 'in no place to lecture other people' on benefits reforms
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:49
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Jabed Ahmed
The government has been asked why it has not consulted disabled groups on its proposed cuts to benefits.
Shadow work and pensions minister Danny Kruger, speaking from the backbenches, asked Sir Keir Starmer why he wasn’t working with disabled people.
The Conservative MP said: “After 14 years to get ready, they came into power with no plan to reform welfare. But now in a panic because of their economic mismanagement, they are cutting benefits for disabled people without consulting them at all. It probably says in his folder that the High Court ruled the Conservative’s consultation was too short, but at least we consulted. They are not consulting at all.
“So will the Prime Minister explain why he is doing things to disabled people, and not with them?”
Sir Keir said: “What it says in my folder is they had 14 years, including five with a majority, they didn’t need to consult, get on with it.
“They had a majority of 80 for the last five years. They’re now carping on with some of their ideas, 14 years and they didn’t implement a single one. They simply broke the system. They’re in no place to lecture other people.”
Starmer clashes with Diane Abbott
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:47
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Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer clashed with Labour veteran Diane Abbott over the £5 billion cut to the welfare bill.
Ms Abbott told him: “There is nothing moral about cutting benefits for what may be up to a million people.
“This is not about morality, this is about the Treasury’s wish to balance the country’s books on the back of the most vulnerable and poor people in this society.”
Sir Keir told her it was a “moral issue” that one-in-eight young people were not in employment, education or training.
He said “I’m not going to turn away from that”, adding he was “shocked that a million people, young people, are in that position, and I’m not prepared to shrug my shoulders and walk past it”.
Watch | Starmer backs calls for Adolescence to be shown in parliament and schools
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:45
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Jabed Ahmed
Round up | PMQs
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:41
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Jabed Ahmed
Kemi Badenoch challenged Sir Keir Starmer over Labour's economic policies, questioning the need for an "emergency budget" after the Chancellor's previous budget, saying:
- "The Chancellor claimed that her budget was a once in a parliamentary reset. So why are we having an emergency budget next week?"
Sir Keir defended Labour's economic record:
- "We have delivered record investment into this country, had three interest rates cuts in a row, and wages are going up faster than prices."
- He criticised the previous Conservative government for "a massive £22 billion black hole in the economy."
Ms Badenoch raised concerns about tax increases on businesses, saying:
- "Growth is down, borrowing is up, and she has destroyed business confidence."
Sir Keir responded:
- "We had to fill the £22 billion black hole that they left."
He also questioned if Labour would reverse national insurance increases, saying:
- "She carps from the sideline but can’t make her mind up whether she supports or doesn’t support national insurance rises."
Badenoch asked Starmer to exempt hospices, pharmacies, and care providers from national insurance rises, to which Starmer replied:
- "We’ve already invested £100 million for adult and children’s hospices."
Colum Eastwood (SDLP) raised concerns about disability benefit reforms, citing a constituent's situation where a disabled person would lose support under the new system.
- He asked: "What was the point if Labour are going to do this?"
Starmer defended the reforms, stating:
- "The current system is morally and economically indefensible and we’re right to reform it."
- He outlined three principles for reform: work if you can, help if you need it, support if you can’t work.
Carla Denyer questions Starmer over ‘tough choices’ rhetoric
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:21
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Archie Mitchell
Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly claimed to have made “tough choices” since the general election in July.
Examples included snatching winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners, targeting farmers with an inheritance tax hike, maintaining the two-child benefit cap and on Tuesday axing £5bn of benefit spending.
But Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer challenged the prime minister on Wednesday about just who his “tough choices” are targeting.
Calling for a wealth tax on Britain’s top earners, Ms Denyer said: “Does the Prime Minister really think that the way to tackle this is to put the onus on to older people, children and now sick and disabled people, rather than on the shoulders of super rich with a wealth tax those people who can most easily afford to pay?”
MP asks ‘what is the point of Labour’ if it cuts disability benefits
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:15
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David Maddox
SDLP MP Colum Eastwood, an MP from Labour’s sister party in Northern Ireland, was scathing about the announcement on slashing disability benefits yesterday.
He asked “What is the point of Labour” as he outlined the case of a local constituent who will lose their financial support.
The stinging criticism is shared by many on the Labour benches and represents problems for the government ahead as the changes are brought in.
Analysis | Kemi Badenoch's lack of policies makes meaningful scrutiny almost impossible
Wednesday 19 March 2025 12:14
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Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent
Kemi Badenoch’s line of questioning at PMQs so far has been strong – pressing the government on the upcoming spring statement puts the PM in a tricky position and forces him to confront the questions that even his own MPs are asking.
But the Tory leader’s failure to commit to any firm policies of her own – and being so transparent about her decision not to do so - has made any meaningful scrutiny difficult.
It gives Keir Starmer an easy out, leaving her open to questions about whether or not she would reverse the policies she has so vocally opposed. By saying she won’t commit to any policies in her first two years in office, she has left herself unable to appropriately respond to what should be an easy line of questioning.
