Andy Burnham set for huge clash with 120 Labour MPs over youth sickness benefits crackdown
Andy Burnham could be set for a clash with Labour backbenchers over his youth sickness benefits reforms, if the historic reaction to a similar proposal is anything to go by.
The Telegraph revealed last night he was plotting a crackdown on youth sickness benefits in order to fund any changes to social care and defence - for which he was left a multi-billion-pound black hole by Sir Keir Starmer, which he will need to fill at his first Budget.
A major Labour backbench rebellion erupted over Government welfare cuts to disability and sickness benefits under Sir Keir Starmer.
Last summer, more than 130 MPs, including 120 Labour MPs, signed an amendment to reject plans to cut disability and sickness-related benefits payments, hoped to save £5bn a year by 2030.
Despite the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer was adamant to "press ahead" with the welfare changes at the time.
With details of Andy Burnham's fresh plans to follow later this week, Foreign Office minister Hamish falconer has said he believes Labour MPs will support reforms this time around.
He said: “I think the Labour, the PLP, the Parliamentary Labour Party, do recognise that there is an issue that they want to see reform of, and I think they’ll support the Prime Minister in his intent that he set out over the weekend.”
He said Andy Burnham recognised the need to get more young people into work and ensure the personal independence payment system, which enables people to work, “incentivises that as well”.
Mr Falconer added: “It is vital that we make changes. There are far too many people who are currently being failed by the benefits system, because if you’re not in work then you often will live a much less full life than if you are.
“Most people I know who are Neets, not in employment, education or training, do want to work, and the Prime Minister has set out why that’s so important to him at the weekend.”
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY...
Lib Dems demand all new homes must come equipped with air con
All new homes must be built with air con to prepare the UK for “climate shocks” ahead, the Liberal Democrats have said.
Britain is “woefully unprepared” for extreme heat, the party’s environment spokesman Tim Farron has warned, as temperatures in recent months hit record-breaking levels.
The Lib Dems want a package of measures, including a legal requirement for all new-build homes to be fitted with air conditioning or an effective cooling system, powered by solar.
The party argues the current approach is leaving the elderly and vulnerable dangerously at risk.
Mr Farron said: “This latest set of relentless heatwaves has taught us that Britain is woefully unprepared for extreme heat, and families across Britain are paying for the cost of inaction.
“With another heatwave on the horizon, the Government must step in with a new plan that takes the onus off already-struggling Brits and commits developers to build homes fit for the future - insulated properly and equipped with air conditioning.
“This measure is needed to provide the security we need as extreme heat events ramp up year on year.”
Gideon Amos, the Lib Dems’ housing spokesman, added that air conditioning is becoming “essential” in UK homes.
He said: “Andy Burnham must see sense and enable the country to adapt fast - looking at how we build well for the future so that we give our society the security needed during these devastating heatwaves.”
Scottish Labour leadership contender was 'deeply disappointed' by a 'selfish and stubborn' Keir Starmer in final weeks
Sir Keir Starmer resisting calls to stand down was “selfish and stubborn”, according to the current sole Scottish Labour leadership contender, Monica Lennon.
The earliest high profile call for Sir Keir to quit came from former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who broke cover in February.
Speaking to the BBC this morning, Ms Lennon - who will return to Holyrood following Mr Sarwar’s resignation - said one of the key issues which saw Labour drop to just 17 MSPs was Sir Keir himself.
“Clearly, the focus is the May election and what’s happened in Scotland,” she said.
“The party has had its worst election result ever in the history of the Scottish Parliament - in fact we’ve been losing seats and votes since 1999, so there’s a downward trend that cannot be ignored.
“There’s lots of reasons, but I think the primary reason was Keir Starmer. We couldn’t get a proper hearing on the doorsteps or around the country because that was the first thing that was brought up.
“People felt they saw Keir Starmer and his words and actions didn’t match - there was a deep disappointment.”
She added: “I think, on reflection, Keir Starmer should have read the room, I think he was selfish and stubborn and I think that’s been a big part of our problem.
“That has contaminated people’s view of Scottish Labour."
Kemi Badenoch offers to assist Andy Burnham's social care overhaul on two key conditions
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has written to Andy Burnham expressing her willingness to collaborate on his forthcoming adult social care overhaul - but only if two key demands are met.
In her letter, Kemi Badenoch stated that her party is "happy to work with you and other parties" on the matter, provided that any proposed solution is "fair to those who have made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives."
She also insisted that Mr Burnham must rule out "any tax rises or increased borrowing that will ultimately fall on the next generation to pay."
The Prime Minister is anticipated to unveil his plans for reforming the social care system later this week, with Ms Badenoch adding that adult social care "matters a lot to me" personally.
The Opposition leader used her letter to criticise the Government's record on taxation and borrowing, arguing that firms shutting down or moving abroad, youth unemployment exceeding eurozone levels, and the cost of living are already inflicting hardship on many households.
"The last thing Britain needs is further tax increases to pay for social care," Ms Badenoch said.
Will Andy Burnham call a general election?
Andy Burnham appears to have ruled out an early general election, amid speculation he could call a snap poll.
The new Prime Minister dismissed the move in an interview with the BBC, despite calls to do so and provide Labour with a fresh mandate for governing under his leadership.
He has insisted that he will adhere to Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which included a promise to not raise headline taxes on working people, and has also said he will comply with Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules.
He said: “There is no early general election, and the thing I would say to you is 20-plus - how many million people you just mentioned - voted for a manifesto, we’re in a parliamentary democracy so that is what people voted for.
"And I said to you earlier in this interview that I will honour that manifesto.”
Mr Burnham argued that he “went and faced the public” by winning the Makerfield by-election in June, and had since won the support of his Labour colleagues in Parliament to become Prime Minister.
Pressed again if he would rule out an early election, he said: “I’m going to rule it out. Yeah, there’s no early general election, I don’t think people want it.
“You know, we’ve - well, the opinion polls might say some people do, some people don’t.”
There is no requirement for Mr Burnham to call an early election, as in Britain’s Parliamentary system, the political party with a majority in the House of Commons has the mandate to form a Government.
The Conservatives changed leader twice after Boris Johnson resigned in 2022, with both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak becoming prime minister without going to a public vote.
Foreign Office minister said he believes Labour MPs will support proposals to reform welfare
A Foreign Office minister has said he believes Labour MPs will support proposals to reform welfare and reduce spending on it.
Hamish Falconer told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the Parliamentary Labour Party understood the need for changes.
Mr Falconer said: “I think the Labour, the PLP, the Parliamentary Labour Party, do recognise that there is an issue that they want to see reform of, and I think they’ll support the Prime Minister in his intent that he set out over the weekend.”
He said Andy Burnham recognised the need to get more young people into work and ensure the personal independence payment system, which enables people to work, “incentivises that as well”.
Mr Falconer added: “It is vital that we make changes. There are far too many people who are currently being failed by the benefits system, because if you’re not in work then you often will live a much less full life than if you are.
“Most people I know who are Neets, not in employment, education or training, do want to work, and the Prime Minister has set out why that’s so important to him at the weekend.”
Former Tory justice secretary says prison early release scheme is 'difficult' as he stressed capacity could be reached by November
The former Tory justice secretary who recommended the prisoner early release scheme has acknowledged it was "always going to be difficult", and stressed prison capacity will be maxed out by November.
David Gauke chaired the Independent Sentencing Review, which recommended prisoners should be released early in England and Wales to free up capacity.
He told reporters: "I think it was always going to be difficult. We knew that when we made the recommendations. I think the government knew that when they accepted the recommendations.
"The problem, and this is where I have a lot of sympathy for the government on this particular point, is what is the alternative?"
The former justice secretary adds that running out of prison spaces would be "pretty disastrous", and that it could happen within four months without urgent action.
He also said the government is already building prisons, and that "you can't build any quicker than they are".
"The reality is, there is no very quick and easy way in which you can increase the prison population."
Closer ties with the EU on the cards as UK-EU summit approaches
Andy Burnham's Government is looking at how the UK can "go further" in seeking a closer relationship with the EU, with ministers currently ramping up for the UK-EU summit.
European Relations Minister Hamish Falconer told Sky News: "The previous prime minister did really important work to help reset relations, and I want to consolidate some of that work.
"But we also need to see how we can go further. Even since we started those talks, the world has changed quite dramatically.
"We have already had a reset. We have got to consolidate some of the progress that has been made."
Asked what this means in practice, Falconer says: "Consolidate means in the areas where we think we can make further deals to make life easier for British businesses in particular.
"So, that's things like how food is sold into the European Union, how our electricity systems interact with the European Union, how we interact, for example, with their so-called carbon border adjustment mechanism.
"We need to get those deals done. We need to get them done in a way that suits the UK and suits the EU."
He said Labour are "not talking about rejoining today" - but have left the door open to this being included in Labour's next manifesto in 2029.
Labour planning 'big changes' on council tax as Andy Burnham calls out 'unfairness'
Andy Burnham has said there are “big decisions” ahead of his Government on council tax, as he criticised the unfairness of the current system for making some people pay higher rates than are levied on more expensive homes in London.
The Prime Minister acknowledged he needed to stick to the manifesto Labour was elected on in 2024, but said he understood how people felt the current system was disproportionate.
It came as No10 denied the Government was considering replacing council tax and stamp duty with a tax based on property or land values.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Burnham said: “There are people here in Greater Manchester who pay a much higher council tax than people living in much larger homes in London.
“So the Chancellor before, Rachel Reeves, was right to start to reform council tax to create some fairness there in relation to people in homes that are of much greater value, who haven’t seen their council tax go up over the years because of the failure to revalue the banding.
“So that’s an example of something that I think was right and fair.”
He added: “We need to honour the manifesto upon which Labour was elected, and if I was to bring forward any changes, obviously people would rightly say, well, is this consistent with that manifesto?
“So there are big decisions ahead, you are right about that.”
Andy Burnham's dog will not move into Downing Street over clash with Larry the cat
Andy Burnham has said his pet dog Axel will not be moved into Downing Street because he “wouldn’t get on with Larry” the No10 cat.
The Prime Minister’s dog, a bichon frise-poodle cross, will remain in the north of England, Mr Burnham told the BBC in his first major broadcast interview.
The Prime Minister described his own pet as “Famous Axel” and added: “I think he’s going to have to stay up north I think, because he’s kind of got that angry little man thing going on. He’s got a bit of poodle in him.
“He’s a bich-poo, I think they call it - or a poochon - whatever the phrase is. And, yeah, he wouldn’t get on with Larry, let me put it that way, and I don’t think the nation would thank me, would they, if I brought Axel down to disturb Larry’s world?
“So I think he’s staying up here.”
Treasury hits back at council tax reports as Lord Blunkett warns it'll be 'politically problematic'
Government sources pushed back on The i Paper's story Burnham was "actively considering" council tax and stamp duty.
The sources said decisions on tax were a matter for the Chancellor to set out at fiscal events - namely, the Budget where John Healey will also have to work out how to fund the defence black hole.
Lord Blunkett, one of Burnham's closest allies, warned a land value tax would be "politically problematic" - creating winners and losers across the housing market.
He said the reform will not happen in the "immediate future", warning that there must be a "grounding of reality in politics, as well as radical thinking in economics".
Andy Burnham could SCRAP council tax in favour of flat rate across the nation
Andy Burnham is said to be considering plans to scrap council tax and stamp duty.
Treasury officials are looking at options to overhaul the way property is taxed, with more than 100 Labour MPs advocating for the change, according to The i Paper.
Jonathan Brash, the Hartlepool MP who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Council Tax Reform, said: “Council tax is one of the most unfair taxes in Britain, and nowhere is that injustice clearer than in towns like Hartlepool.”
In leafy Wandsworth, west London, a Band D home commands council tax worth some £1,020 - but in Mr Brash's seat, that figure sits as far north as £2,556.
He added: “We don’t need another sticking plaster. We need wholesale reform.”
Two models are being considered to replace the council tax. A proportional property tax would replace both council tax and stamp duty with a flat 0.48 per cent annual charge on a home’s current value.
The second option, a land value tax, would charge owners based only on the value of the land it sits on.
During the 2010 Labour leadership contest, Mr Burnham said land value tax should replace stamp duty - which he described as a “tax on the aspirations of young people”.
Revealed: Teenagers on Pip earn £100 MORE every week than part-time workers
Teenagers claiming personal independence payment (Pip) received £100 a week more than part-time workers on minimum wage, new analysis has revealed.
The payment is intended to help with everyday tasks for those with a long-term physical disability or mental health condition.
But The Times has revealed that more than 87,000 16- and 17-year-olds are claiming Pip - more than two thirds for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions such as anxiety, depression, autism and ADHD.
A 16-year-old on the under-18 minimum wage, working the legal maximum during time, would take home around £94.
The same teenager, receiving Pip with anxiety benefits, can receive more than double the hourly equivalent - without doing any work.
Kemi Badenoch demands Andy Burnham rules out tax rises to fund his social care overhaul
Kemi Badenoch has challenged the Prime Minister to rule out tax rises or increased borrowing to pay for social care reform in a newly-published letter.
The Conservative leader last night said her party would be willing to work with Labour if two “core principles” were met.
She said: “First, any solution to the issues around social care must also be fair to those who have made provisions and saved up over the course of their lives.
“Second, the money must be found by reducing current spending. You must rule out any tax rises, or increased borrowing that will ultimately fall on the next generation to pay for.”
The Tory leader said there was speculation Mr Burnham would increase taxes in the autumn budget, adding that it was the “last thing” Britain needed.
Mrs Badenoch said she hoped the two party leaders could find “common ground” on a “hugely important issue for so many people and one that matters a lot to me”.
RECAP: Labour MP claims Reform UK and GB News are to blame for 'hate' behind Berlin Pride attack
Reform UK and GB News have been blamed for homophobic "hate" which led to the Berlin Pride car ramming attack.
Kate Osborne, on the party's left, claimed last night that the party and the channel were "spouting nonsense and broadcasting content and language that attacks and vilifies the LGBTQ+ community".
She said that both contributed to "patterns emerging across Europe" and that "an escalation of hate and verbal attacks online" acted as a "catalyst for real-world physical violence".
"This is why Pride still matters and why we all need to vocally stand up for minorities and condemn the hate," the Jarrow and Gateshead East MP said.
Andy Burnham to hand Volodymyr Zelensky keys to British signal-jamming technology to evade Russian drones today
Andy Burnham will welcome Volodymyr Zelensky to Britain today, his first international visitor since taking over the reins at No10.
He will host the Ukrainian President a week after entering Downing Street - and will hail Labour's continued backing for Kyiv under his premiership, No10 said last night.
The duo will visit a naval base where Mr Burnham will announce that Britain will hand over the intellectual property behind its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, enabling Ukraine to produce the technology at scale.
The tablet-sized device is designed to block Russian detection of any drones it is fitted to.
The Ministry of Defence has already given thousands of the jammers to Ukrainian forces to bolster their drone operations.
Mr Burnham said in a statement: “Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering.
“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine.
“Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
