Andy Burnham‘s deputy squirmed today as she was pressed on whether the benefits bill will fall before the next election.
Louise Haigh repeatedly dodged as she filled in for the PM – who is at a summit in Antigua – in the Commons.
Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart kicked off the clashes by demanding to know when the Government would cut spiralling welfare.
It came after Chancellor John Healey’s post-Budget interviews descended into shambles when he vowed there would be cuts before the country goes to the polls – but then recanted after being slapped down by No10.
Mr Burghart warned that Labour‘s only approach was ‘more tax, more welfare and more borrowing’.
Louise Haigh repeatedly dodged as she filled in for the PM – who is at a summit in Antigua – in the Commons
Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart kicked off the clashes by demanding to know when the Government would cut spiralling welfare
‘They know what needs to be done, but they don’t have the bottle to do it,’ he said.
Ms Haigh insisted the Government had ‘been clear the benefit bill will come down’.
As she continued to ignore the issue of timing, the First Secretary of State accused Mr Burghart of asking the same question again and again.
‘I’ve repeatedly said the benefit bill will come down,’ she said.
Ms Haig said: ‘The honourable gentleman can ask me the same question four of five times, and I’m going to keep answering in the same way.
‘We are taking steps already to bring the welfare bill down.’
Mr Burghart had challenged Ms Haigh to say how much was being spent on working age welfare this year.
When she did not give a figure, he responded: ‘I think it’s very telling that the Right Honourable Lady doesn’t want to tell us the answer to that question.
‘The answer to the question is £183billion. That’s the highest figure ever. It’s higher than anything during Covid. It is higher than defence, schools and policing combined.’
The chaos began on Thursday when Mr Healey appeared to vow in a post-Budget BBC interview that costs would be cut before the next general election.
That sparked frantic backpedalling by Treasury aides, before Downing Street and Mr Burnham stepped in to insist there is no deadline and ‘brutal cuts’ are not on the table.
By Friday evening Mr Healey seemed to have reversed his stance entirely, telling Channel 4 News it was ‘not correct to say that we’re going to bring this welfare bill down in this Parliament’.
The Chancellor was back to denying there was any schedule by this week.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Healey blamed the media for misinterpreting his words, arguing he ‘never set out the timetable for savings’.
‘The overall bill will come down under Labour,’ he said.
