Burnham Cannot Promise Welfare Cut Before Election
Andy Burnham said he wanted to cut the welfare bill “as soon as we possibly can” but could not guarantee it would happen before the next election. Spending is forecast to rise from £353bn this year to £431bn by 2031/32. Healey told the Today programme there “will be a reduction in the benefits bill”, but Downing Street later said it was “not setting an arbitrary target or timetable”.
Treasury sources rejected the idea that Healey had promised a cut by polling day, which must come by August 2029. “We want to get the welfare bill down as quickly as possible, and we’re working flat out to that end,” Burnham said. He warned against “crude cuts” and talked of getting people into “sustainable employment”. The Conservatives accused Labour of being “addicted to welfare”. The Budget gave no detail on welfare reform, which leaves the biggest spending pressure without a plan. That gap gives the opposition its line of attack for the winter.