MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: So, Chancellor, why is it so wrong to stand by a solemn election pledge?
Once upon a time, a Premier and a Chancellor whose most vital economic plans were brutally, publicly destroyed by their own MPs would have at least considered resignation.
It seems that nowadays it is more than their jobs are worth to resign. They propose to carry on in their well-paid posts, and to be driven about with their red boxes in Government cars, even though they no longer have the confidence of their party and cannot get their most crucial plans through Parliament.
It was surely Sir Keir who ought to have been weeping on Wednesday. But no. A very odd thing has happened. Government ministers have been liberated from their own manifesto pledges by their own startling incompetence.
By losing the battle to cut welfare payments, they have now been released from all their previous promises about tax. In fact, they are pretty much compelled to increase tax, something which they probably always wanted to do anyway, but had to promise not to do to get elected.
Asked by the pro-Labour Guardian newspaper whether she was prepared to rule out tax rises in the autumn, Ms Reeves replied: 'I'm not going to because it would be irresponsible for a Chancellor to do that.' If this was not so bitter, and if the price to be paid was not so high, it would be funny. Suddenly it has become 'irresponsible' to stand by a solemn, undoubted promise, made in letters of fire in the Labour manifesto a year ago.
There it was, on page 19: 'Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.'
Now, they will have to break at least part of this promise, or they will not be able to find the huge sums they will need to balance the national books.
Having pretended to be hampered by a fictional black hole left by the Tories, Ms Reeves has now been presented with a real black hole, very wide and deep, by the Parliamentary Labour Party.
This was bound to happen. Those who nowadays obtain nomination as Labour candidates are pretty unlikely to be moderates. But it has taken place surprisingly early in the life of the Starmer Government, because that Government is so badly run. The Labour leadership is simultaneously afraid of Nigel Farage and the voters he threatens to take away, and of Jeremy Corbyn and the voters – and activists – his new movement may seduce.
What a terrible pity it is that the Opposition is currently so weak, and that so many voters were sweet-talked into complacency about the possibility of a Starmer administration a year ago.
Even so, this is what has happened. The price must now be paid, probably in ways which will damage the economy as much as Ms Reeves's foolish increase in employers' National Insurance contributions. This new mess cannot be avoided.
But we do not need any more of this. This week should be the turning point, when the voters decide that they made a mistake by choosing this Government and we start the long march towards replacing it with a competent, responsible administration.
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The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Monday briefing: What Zarah Sultana's new breakaway party could mean for Labour and the left
Good morning. Last week, Zarah Sultana resigned from the Labour party and announced she was co-founding a new leftwing political party alongside former leader Jeremy Corbyn. The MP for Coventry South, who was first elected in December 2019, lost the Labour whip last July after defying the party to oppose the two-child benefit cap. She has stood by that decision, saying she would 'do it again'. In her resignation statement, Sultana accused the government of seeking to make disabled people suffer and called the political system in Westminster 'broken'. She said she was joining forces with other independent MPs and activists to build an alternative to what she described as a political establishment that no longer served ordinary people. The news will not come as a surprise to many Westminster watchers – Corbyn has been hinting at the formation of a new party since last September, and an appeareance on Peston on Sunday two weeks ago was widely seen as a soft launch for the project. 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Middle East | Israeli warplanes launched a wave of strikes in Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 38 Palestinians, according to hospital officials, as talks over a ceasefire in the devastated territory reached a critical point. US news | Residents in central Texas were observing a day of prayer on Sunday for at least 82 people killed and dozens missing in flash flooding. A search, rescue and recovery operation was continuing. Australia | A jury in Australia has found Erin Patterson, 50, guilty of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth with a poisoned beef wellington lunch almost two years ago. UK news | Keir Starmer, King Charles and the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, have marked the 20th anniversary of the 7 July attacks in London in which Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured more than 770. Sultana published a statement on Thursday accusing Labour and the Conservatives of offering 'nothing but managed decline and broken promises'. 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BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Needham Market student says he is helping teenagers escape crime
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Wales Online
27 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Experts gives DWP proposals on welfare reforms
Experts gives DWP proposals on welfare reforms The government has seen its proposed package of welfare reforms whittled away by amendments to quell an outcry from MPs and campaigners over payment cuts Experts have given the government a set of proposals for boosting employment and reducing levels of economic inactivity (Image: peplow via Getty Images ) Labour has been called upon to re-examine the welfare system as a range of innovative employment-centric initiatives have been suggested. These proposals include an idea for disability benefit applicants to participate in an employability and independence workshop prior to their claims being accepted. The government's package of reforms has been significantly diluted through amendments, following a backlash from MPs and advocates concerned about the impact of reduced payments. Nevertheless, pundits contend that alternative strategies need to be considered by the Government to decrease economic inactivity and reintegrate more individuals into employment, reports Birmingham Live. Deven Ghelani, director of Policy in Practice, a firm focusing on social policy software and analytics, has put forth recommendations urging "fundamental reforms that make the system work better for ill and disabled people." Ghelani expresses reservations about the Government's adjustments designed to safeguard current benefit recipients while imposing cuts on prospective claimants with similar health issues. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here As per Labour's forthcoming legislation, Universal Credit's additional amount for illness will remain unchanged for existing beneficiaries but will be slashed and frozen for new claimants post-next April. There was also a plan to exclude current Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients from more stringent upcoming criteria, yet all suggested changes related to PIP have now been scrapped from the bill, with a comprehensive review announced before any new actions are proposed. Article continues below Mr Ghelani has suggested several alternative strategies. He proposes that the DWP should incorporate new 'better-off-in-work assessments' into the claims system for long-term unemployed individuals, to clearly illustrate the financial benefits of employment. Furthermore, he suggests using DWP data on those claiming PIP and the Universal Credit sickness top-up to send text invitations for employment support and social activities. He also recommends that anyone applying for disability benefits should be required to attend an employability and/or independence workshop before they start receiving payments. According to Mr Ghelani, the waiting period before cash support is approved could save money to fund these workshops. Additionally, he urges the Government to simplify access to healthcare services like physiotherapy, and to provide the necessary disability aids and adaptations to keep people active. Lastly, he suggests that employers should strive to maintain and enhance the job market through effective management of their existing staff, providing application feedback to all candidates, and offering more work placements to students. Article continues below Schools should also play a larger role in inviting employers and successful former pupils to share their experiences in the working world, he added.
