19 h. ago UK politics live: Labour rejects claims it’s returning to austerity ‘ahead of Reeves’ Spring Statement cuts’

It comes amid an ongoing battle with inflation and uncertainty partly caused by the threat of tariffs by Donald Trump

Politics

19 h. ago Government not ‘blindly cutting spending’ or heading for austerity – minister

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones also said cuts to spending at next week’s spring statement would not be an admission of economic failure.

Politics

23 h. ago Steve Reed branded ‘Where’s Wally’ as he is accused of ‘ducking scrutiny’

The Environment Secretary also failed to guarantee that his budget won’t see further cuts, ahead of the Chancellor’s spring statement next week.

Politics

24 h. ago Austerity fears grow as Reeves plans major spending cuts in spring statement

A swathe of spending cuts are expected in order to balance the books amid the worsening economic outlook

Politics

24 h. ago Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares huge spending cuts to prevent tax hikes as spring statement looms

Whitehall budgets could be slashed by billions of pounds more than previously expected in a blow to public services

Economics

25 h. ago Chancellor to announce huge spending cuts in spring statement

‘I don’t know how much longer we can go on pretending this is not austerity’

Politics

35 h. ago UK politics live: Rachel Reeves ‘to announce biggest spending cuts since austerity’ in spring statement

Chancellor to lay out plans a week after Labour slashed welfare bill by £5bn

Politics

42 h. ago Starmer must drop ‘cruel’ Pip proposals or face ‘mother of all rebellions’, Labour MP says – UK politics live

Richard Burgon says PM’s failure to defend new Pip eligibility rules at PMQs shows why ‘cruel’ plans should be droppedLast night, to back up its analysis of the disability cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies published two charts illustrating aspects of the changes.This one shows how the £5bn cuts announced yesterday compare in scale to previous benefit cuts, listed here in order of how big they were, in current prices. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago Starmer defends ‘moral’ benefits cuts plan after Diane Abbott says most vulnerable are being used to balance books – UK politics live

Veteran Labour MP says ‘there is nothing moral’ about government plan to cut benefitsLast night, to back up its analysis of the disability cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies published two charts illustrating aspects of the changes.This one shows how the £5bn cuts announced yesterday compare in scale to previous benefit cuts, listed here in order of how big they were, in current prices. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago PMQs live: Kemi Badenoch challenges Keir Starmer over taxes and ‘emergency budget’ before next week’s spring statement

Prime minister takes questions in Commons after decision to slash disability paymentsLast night, to back up its analysis of the disability cuts, the Institute for Fiscal Studies published two charts illustrating aspects of the changes.This one shows how the £5bn cuts announced yesterday compare in scale to previous benefit cuts, listed here in order of how big they were, in current prices. Continue reading...

Economics

47 h. ago Minister refuses to rule out more benefit cuts amid backlash over Liz Kendall move to slash disability payments – UK politics live

Stephen Timms, social security and disability minister, says ‘who knows what will happen in next five years’ as welfare bill is increasing even with cutsMatt Hancock, the former Tory health secretary, has just started giving evidence to the Covid inquiry as part of its inquiry into PPE procurement.There is a live feed here.Of course people who can work should work - no one is questioning that - but for my relatives, friends and neighbours, and your constituents who have the misfortune to suffer from a chronic, debilitating, long-term condition that leaves them bed-bound, unable to leave their home or crushed by mental illness, these cuts will not motivate them to get back to work, it will instead scare and humiliate them and strip them of their dignity and self respect and for some it will send them to an early grave. The blame for this will lie squarely with you and the sycophants within your party who passively support these dreadful cuts. Continue reading...

Politics

48 h. ago Where else will the axe fall as the economy stalls? Rachel Reeves 'must still slash £10bn from spending' in Spring Statement next week despite Labour uproar at crackdown on benefits

Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement next Wednesday had originally been billed as a low-key update, after she vowed only to hold one Budget a year.

Economics

49 h. ago Former Labour MSP publishes 'lied' statement as he quits party over £5bn welfare benefits cut

Neil Findlay says the Labour Party ‘lied to the British public’ at last year’s general election.

Economics

65 h. ago Up to 1.2m people could lose between £4,200 and £6,300 per year from changes to Pip, Resolution Foundation says

Work and pensions secretary says Benefits crackdown will save £5bn by 2030 but disability charities say cuts are ‘immoral’Q: Why have you changed your mind on this?Badenoch says she has not changed her mind. As a member of the government, she abided by collective responsibility. She says in government she regularly questioned the case for net zero.The person who’s been consistent in all this is me.I’m not going to pretend that I won’t have critics This is politics. Being a politician is about being criticised.What I’m asking people to do is listen to what I’m saying. I am not doing what all the other parties are doing. We are changing the way we do things.That’s not how it works. You can’t just pull [a date] out of the air. And what we did was pick a target and then start thinking of how to get there.We need to start thinking about it in a different way. How does this impact families? How is business going to help us deliver? And that’s what the policy commissions are going to do. C...

Economics

68 h. ago Benefits crackdown ‘to save £5bn by 2030’, claims Liz Kendall as disability charities say cuts are ‘immoral’ – UK politics live

Work and pensions secretary says one in 10 people of working age are claiming sickness or disability benefitQ: Why have you changed your mind on this?Badenoch says she has not changed her mind. As a member of the government, she abided by collective responsibility. She says in government she regularly questioned the case for net zero.The person who’s been consistent in all this is me.I’m not going to pretend that I won’t have critics This is politics. Being a politician is about being criticised.What I’m asking people to do is listen to what I’m saying. I am not doing what all the other parties are doing. We are changing the way we do things.That’s not how it works. You can’t just pull [a date] out of the air. And what we did was pick a target and then start thinking of how to get there.We need to start thinking about it in a different way. How does this impact families? How is business going to help us deliver? And that’s what the policy commissions are going to do. Continue readin...

Politics

68 h. ago Liz Kendall unveils UK benefits cuts set to leave many sick and disabled worse off

Welfare secretary announces changes aimed at cutting bill by up to £5bn in face of opposition from Labour MPsUK politics live – latest updatesLiz Kendall, the welfare secretary, has faced down angry Labour MPs to unveil drastic cuts to the UK’s benefits system that will leave many sick and disabled claimants worse off.The measures, which the government argues are needed to “fix the broken benefits system” and balance the nation’s books, are expected to cut £5bn from the benefits bill by the end of the decade. Continue reading...

Politics

69 h. ago Liz Kendall says benefits system ‘holding our country back’ and claims plan to crack down on it will save £5bn by 2030 – UK politics live

Work and pensions secretary says one in 10 people of working age are claiming sickness or disability benefitQ: Why have you changed your mind on this?Badenoch says she has not changed her mind. As a member of the government, she abided by collective responsibility. She says in government she regularly questioned the case for net zero.The person who’s been consistent in all this is me.I’m not going to pretend that I won’t have critics This is politics. Being a politician is about being criticised.What I’m asking people to do is listen to what I’m saying. I am not doing what all the other parties are doing. We are changing the way we do things.That’s not how it works. You can’t just pull [a date] out of the air. And what we did was pick a target and then start thinking of how to get there.We need to start thinking about it in a different way. How does this impact families? How is business going to help us deliver? And that’s what the policy commissions are going to do. Continue readin...

Politics

3 d. ago UK politics live: Labour to unveil plan to slash billions from benefit bill amid backbench backlash

Work and pension secretary Liz Kendall set to unveil plans to slash welfare bill by £5bn in benefits overhaul on Tuesday

Politics

3 d. ago Hairdressers call for tax reform in ‘save our salons’ Westminster protest

The British Hair Consortium wants VAT on labour costs to be cut from 20% to 10% in the Spring Statement.

Events

3 d. ago Sick and disabled face being stripped of £1,200 a year each in welfare benefits as Reeves tries to balance Budget

As the OECD downgraded British growth forecasts, chancellor Rachel Reeves is still arguing over details of benefits cuts ahead of a major statement in the Commons

Economics