Number 10’s spokesman today, asked if Starmer supports Wes Streeting’s call to slash welfare spending to fund defence:
“The best way to get the welfare bill down in the long term is to support more people into work and I’ve set out a number of ways in which we’re doing that… we are committed to reforming the welfare system… we make no apologies for lifting children out of poverty, but in terms of the overall welfare system we are committed to making it fairer for the taxpayer.”
Asked what ‘fairer’ for the taxpayer actually means, the spokesman said:
“It means reforming the system and supporting more people into work… it’s not a zero sum game when it comes to defence and welfare.”
Back in your box, Wes. 63,000 more people signed up to universal credit in a single month, according to the latest figures. Is anyone in Number 10 concerned about this? Or is placating useless backbenchers more important?
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”