Burnham and Healey have punted welfare reforms into the long grass, with no major announcements on the gigantic benefits bill expected in this October’s budget. Instead, No10 is waiting until the Milburn and Timms reviews wrap up before even trying to do something next year. Around 5,000 people sign on to long term sickness benefits every day in the meantime…
The Telegraph today quotes a government source claiming Burnham can only solve “one big issue at a time“, which currently means trying to plug a £4.7 billion hole in the defence budget. Plans to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP by 2030 won’t be announced in this budget either. Healey has pushed that back to the spending review at an unannounced date next year. They’re trying to take the spook out of the October budget. Save the real horror show for next year…
Lee Anderson, speaking to The Sun’s Tom Scotson, reveals the wokest thing he’s ever done: “I once had a vegetarian thought, about becoming a vegetarian. That was quickly dismissed when I had a bacon sandwich…”