Labour has so far provided no solution to the ongoing scandal with regard to the 48-year old Motability scheme, which gives cars in exchange for benefit payments to mobility PIP claimants. Social security and disability minister Stephen Timms defended the scheme in its entirety in the Commons, saying that it is “highly valued by disabled people around the UK… a scheme that is greatly prized right across the House.” One in five of all new cars sold in the UK are done so under the scheme – its fleet of vehicles is valued at £14 billion…
Motability claimants can get a new top-range model every three years and can get free vehicles for ADHD. Then-DWP secretary Mel Stride received briefings on issues related to the scheme on 18 January 2024 as well as later on 29 January. No action on those apart from a consultation launch in April on PIP before a prompt election loss…
The government says it is collecting those briefings for direct use “to help develop government policy relating to Motability Foundation and its role in providing aid to disabled people” all while ignoring the issue in welfare reforms this week. There is no change to the mobility element of PIP so no impact on the number or type of claimants. So no solution…
Motability continues to expand with new advertising of provisions for driving lessons to be given to PIP claimants. Kendall and her Tory predecessor have failed to come up with a method to deal with the ADHD to taxpayer-subsidised BMW pipeline…
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.”