The benefits Bill debacle offered a valuable lesson for politicians

Telegraph

18 hours ago

SIR – Following the shambolic passage of Labour's welfare Bill on Tuesday (report, July 2), perhaps politicians will now realise that, once the benefit tap is turned on, it becomes virtually impossible to turn it off.
Terence Gabriel
Herne Bay, Kent
SIR – The inevitable consequence of Sir Keir Starmer's latest U-turn on benefits is that the 'working people' he is allegedly anxious to represent are going to have to pay for it.
David Nunn
West Malling, Kent
SIR – According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the Government borrows about £285,000 (and rising) every single minute, £200,000 of which (also rising) is immediately used to pay interest on the nation's debt. The remainder doesn't even account for the cost of disability benefit (about £105,000 a minute).
Advice to those in financial trouble would be categorical: maxing out the credit card and borrowing to pay interest has no future, and has to stop.
Set against this, the emotional – some might say hysterical – contributions from several MPs to Tuesday's welfare debate in the House of Commons could be viewed as reckless.
If the Prime Minister, who claims he finds it easy to be ruthless, is incapable of convincing his MPs to show financial restraint, he is failing this great nation – and I fear we all face a very dark future as a consequence.
Robert Jowitt
Dulverton, Somerset
SIR – We have been told countless times of the £22 billion 'black hole' inherited by the Labour Government after 14 years of Conservative rule.
It is worth noting that, in that time, the Tories had to find funds to restore the economy after the last Labour government departed, as well as meet the costs arising from the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war.
Now you report (June 29) that the Government's many U-turns have added to a £40 billion 'black hole', which the Chancellor needs to fill at the next Budget . This was before the announcement of the latest amendments to the benefits Bill.
So, in her first year, Rachel Reeves has managed to turn a 'black hole' of £22 billion into one of more than £40 billion. One wonders how soon this Labour Government, like its predecessor, will have to admit that there's no money left.
In the meantime, how much more damage will be inflicted upon the British economy?
Adam Massingham
Ashford, Kent
Connolly's conviction
SIR – Apart from the severity of the sentence, which our judicial establishment is yet to justify, to my mind there are two problems with Lucy Connolly's 'incitement' conviction ('Beware calls to change British justice in the wake of the Lucy Connolly case', Letters, June 29).
The first is that Mrs Connolly, upon reflection, deleted the offending tweet. This seems to confirm that there was no intention to incite. Unless the deletion was merely a tactic, I believe that most jurors would struggle to find the defendant guilty.
Secondly, one might expect a minimal requirement for a conviction to be that the Crown Prosecution Service should provide evidence that someone was incited. Has anyone convicted of crime in the post-Southport chaos cited Mrs Connolly's contribution as a motivator?
Without such evidence, Mrs Connolly seems to stand accused of a fantasy crime, and is now suffering the consequences of a judgment that is at odds with most people's understanding of British justice.
The criminal hurdle of 'beyond reasonable doubt' has not even been approached, let alone overcome, in my opinion.
Jeremy Hosking
Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland
VAT on school fees
SIR – The decision to add VAT to independent school fees was originally framed as a targeted measure to support state education, with the revenue ringfenced for that purpose. More recently, however, the Prime Minister has described this policy as a 'tough decision' that underpins the largest investment in affordable housing in a generation.
Given that the projected income from VAT on school fees was £1.5 billion, it is surprising to hear it linked to a £39 billion housing programme, as well as to the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers and the expansion of free school meals. The scale of return being attributed to this policy appears ambitious.
Meanwhile, just six months into implementation, estimates of the number of pupils leaving the independent sector have risen from 3,000 to more than 11,000. That means thousands of families are no longer paying VAT, and are instead entering a state system already under strain.
The resulting disruption in the independent sector is no longer hypothetical. Several schools have closed, and prominent institutions across the UK are being taken over by private investors. Is this the intended consequence of the policy?
If difficult decisions must be taken, surely it is reasonable to ask whether they are producing meaningful outcomes. In this case, many in the education sector are wondering if the social and financial cost of disruption is proportionate to the return.
Andrew J McGarva
Rector, Morrison's Academy
Crieff, Perthshire
SIR – Regarding Rhidian Llewellyn's letter (July 1), perhaps the money used to fund cricket bursaries for non-academic pupils to attend public schools could be better spent on encouraging pupils at state schools to play cricket.
Susan A Smith
Ashburnham, East Sussex
Heatwave hysterics
SIR – I totally agree with Philip Johntson ('Welfarism has made Britain so soft we can't even handle a heatwave', Comment, July 2).
When I was five or six, I was often sent away to my grandparents for the summer, either in London or Bournemouth. I recall running around in the heat, which I understood from my grandparents was 'nearly 100 degrees' (Fahrenheit, of course). There was no need for expensive bottled water, as most parks had at least one drinking fountain. These have sadly been done away with.
It's time the Met Office stopped issuing panic-stricken warnings.
Mike Salter
Aberdeen
SIR – The BBC weather forecast, once the most gentle adjunct to the news, has over the past 10 years become an intense drama, where death and destruction are predicted on an almost daily basis.
Those who have worked in the hotter parts of the world, or travelled to countries nearer the equator, must be bemused by the dire warnings given out when temperatures are due to rise to the low thirties.
Perhaps the Government should introduce a summer cooling allowance for the frail and elderly, as air-conditioning is very expensive to install and run.
Brian Farmer
Carmarthen
SIR – I was astounded to read of the 'heat strike' motion put forward by members of the British Medical Association (BMA), demanding that NHS staff should not be forced to work in conditions above a certain temperature (report, June 20). Unfortunately, patients do not stop being ill in hot weather.
As a veteran of the Royal Army Medical Corps, I think of our motto, In Arduis Fidelis (faithful in adversity). Perhaps those in the medical profession who want to desert their patients should ponder these words, and demonstrate a little more commitment and resilience for their patients.
Mike Gillingham
Chelmsford, Essex
Power of tablecloths
SIR – The decline in restaurant standards (Letters, June 29) started when tablecloths were removed.
Dining at a bare table smacks of the canteen or public bar, and leads to quick eating. This may be convenient, but there are times when only the grace of a properly set table, laid with cloth, real flowers, large napkins, sparkling glasses and several pieces of cutlery, including a dessert fork, will do.
Trying to find a restaurant that provides such an arrangement can take considerable effort. A recent attempt was unsuccessful, so we settled for lunch at a five-star hotel to celebrate a family event – with a bare, incompletely set table. It did not enhance our dining experience, and we will not return.
Heather Erridge
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
SIR – During a visit to Simpson's in the Strand many years ago, one of my lunch guests asked for steak tartare (Letters, June 29), but added, 'Please can I have it well done?' The seasoned waiter, oozing experience and diplomacy, and without a moment's pause, highly recommended another dish from the bill of fare, which was gratefully accepted.
Tim Oldfield
Wye, Kent
Dubious claims about gender in Shakespeare
SIR – Ruth Fernando's assertion that Macbeth is a gender-fluid play (report, June 29) made me laugh out loud.
The famous lines uttered in desperation by Lady Macbeth – 'unsex me here,/And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/Of direst cruelty' – surely relies upon the fact that she is a woman alone and in crisis, in a world of strong, violent and unpredictable men.
David Hunter
St Columb Minor, Cornwall
SIR – If the Royal Shakespeare Company wants to know how to interest today's youngsters in the Bard's work (Comment, June 17), it has only to consult Mrs Burrows, who taught English Literature to girls in Kent in the 1970s.
Minute dissection of the language revealed plenty of insults and sexual references that ensured total attention and aided comprehension.
Gillian Courage
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
British philanthropy
SIR – With the Giving and Impact Summit returning to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday, we write to highlight the vital role of philanthropy in British society, and the importance of unlocking the full potential of high-net-worth giving.
The UK is a generous nation. Last year, the public donated over £15 billion to charity, maintaining our position as the fourth most generous country internationally. Successful entrepreneurs and wealth creators can leverage their full range of assets – financial resources, strategic skills, time and leadership experience – to tackle society's most urgent problems.
With the greatest wealth transfer in history underway, as fortunes pass to younger generations, we have a unique opportunity to embed a culture of significant giving among emerging philanthropists.
The Government should make more use of matched funding schemes, and simplify the gift aid process. The wealth management sector should better equip advisers to discuss philanthropy with clients, and we should explore other innovative solutions, such as introducing optional donations from lottery winners.
Philanthropy built Britain's great universities, museums and cultural institutions. As we face unprecedented global challenges, we need today's successful wealth creators and wealth holders to step forward with the same boldness and vision. The opportunity for change has never been greater.
Dame Vivien Duffield
Chair, Clore Duffield Foundation
Gary Lubner
Founder, This Day Charitable Foundation
John Studzinski
Founder and Chair, Genesis Foundation
Lord Verjee (Lib Dem)
Founder, The Rumi Foundation
Lord Browne of Madingley (Crossbench)
Founder, John Browne Charitable Trust
Baroness Rebuck (Lab)
Chair, Somerset House
Lord Stevens of Birmingham (Crossbench)
Chair, Cancer Research UK
Sir Peter Bazalgette
Council Chair, Royal College of Art
Professor Geeta Nargund
Co-founder and Director, Social Impact Enterprises Ltd
Vice Chair, British Red Cross
Ajaz Ahmed
Founder, Studio.One and ajaz.org
Trustee, Mission 44 and Virgin Unite
Alex Chesterman
Amar Shah
Andrew Dixon
Founder of ARC InterCapital, Woodhaven Trust and Fairer Share
Andrew Harrison
Chair of Trustees, Mental Health Innovations
Andrew Law
Chair and CEO, Caxton Associates
Founding Trustee, Law Family Charitable Foundation and Law Family Educational Trust
Andy Wates
Chair, Wates Family Enterprise Trust
Batia Ofer
Chair, Royal Academy of Arts Trust
Co-Founder, Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation
Founder and Chair, Art of Wishes
Bill Holroyd
Founder, OnSide YouthZones
Bob Wigley
Chair, UK Finance
Brent Hoberman
Chair and Co-Founder, Founders Forum Group, Founders Factory and firstminute capital
Bruce Carnegie-Brown
Carol Shanahan
Chair, Port Vale Football Club
Trustee, The Port Vale Foundation Trust and EFL in the Community
Founder, The Hubb Foundation
Charles Gurassa
Chair, Oxfam GB
Chair, Migration Museum
Chris Oglesby
CEO, Bruntwood
Trustee, Oglesby Charitable Trust
Jane Oglesby
Chair, Oglesby Charitable Trust
Dame Elizabeth Corley
Chair Emerita, Impact Investing Institute
Chair, Schroders plc
Dame Marit Mohn
Co-Founder, The Mohn Westlake Foundation
Dame Martina Milburn
DMC Philanthropy
Daniel Levy
Co-Chair, The Grove Hotel
President, Jewish Volunteering Network
Chair, Immanuel College
David Dangoor
Chair, The Exilarch's Foundation and Dangoor Education
David Forbes-Nixon
Chair and Founder, DFN Foundation
David Gregson
Chair and Co-Founder, #BeeWell
Chair, Gregson Family Foundation
David Pearl
Chair and Chief Executive, Pearl & Coutts
Founder and Chair, David Pearlman Charitable Foundation
Dinesh Dhamija
Chair, Copper Beech Group
Founder, ebookers.com
Dr Nik Kotecha
Founder, Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Founder and Chair, Randalsun Capital Ltd and The Randal Charitable Foundation
Dr Robert D Kilgour
Dr Vijay C Patel
CEO, Waymade plc
Chair, Waymade Capital
Dr Vikas Shah
Duke of Richmond and Gordon
Chair, The Goodwood Estate Company Ltd
Trustee, Goodwood Education Trust, Lennox Trust and Goodwood Art Foundation
Earl Cadogan
Cadogan Charitable Trust
Edmund Lazarus
Founder and Managing Partner, EMK Capital
Emma Kane
Deputy Chair, Elton John AIDS Foundation
Gavin Patterson
Chair, Alzheimer's Research UK
Graham Baker
Founder, Butchers Pet Care
Graham Edwards
Chair, Edwards Family Foundation
Trustee, The Pennies Foundation
Grant Gordon
Chair, Ethos Foundation
Harry Hyman
Founder, International Opera Awards
Ian Marcus
Chair, Shurgard Self Storage
Deputy Chair, Saracens Multi Academy Trust
Ian Rosenblatt
Founder, Rosenblatt Law
James Lambert
Founder investor and Deputy Chair, The Bicester Collection
Trustee, The National Gallery
James Reed
Chair and CEO, Reed
Chair, Big Give
Trustee, The Reed Foundation
Jamie Ritblat
Founder and Executive Chairman, Delancey
Trustee, Heritage of London Trust
Trustee, The Ritblat Family Foundation
Trustee, Blenheim Palace
Joanna Barnett
Chair, Fields in Trust
Joe Garner
Chair, Tennis First
John Booth
Chair, The National Gallery
Vice- President, The King's Trust
John Caudwell
Founder, Caudwell Children and Caudwell Youth
John Hartz
Co-Founder, Inflexion Private Equity
Trustee, Inflexion Foundation
Founder, Hartz Family Foundation
Jonathan Straight
Chair, WasteAid
Judy Dewinter
Chair, Royal Free Charity
President, Myeloma UK
Justin Byam Shaw
Founder, The Felix Project
Keith Black
CEO and Chair, Regatta
Chair, Regatta Foundation
Trustee, Family Foundation
Chair, Jewish Leadership Council
Keith Breslauer
Vice Patron, The Royal Marines Charity
Chair, PTI, formerly The Prince's Teaching Institute
Koolesh Shah
Founder, London Town Group
Lady Jill Shaw Ruddock
Founder and Chair, The Second Half Foundation
Laurence Geller
Chair, Loveday & Co
Chancellor, University of West London
Founder, Geller Commission on Dementia Care
Laurence Kirschel
Founder, Outernet London; Founder, Adot charity
Leo Noé
Founding Trustee, Rachel Charitable Trust
Chair, Centre for Social Justice Foundation
Trustee, Project Seed
Lord Gadhia (Non-affiliated)
Chair, British Asian Trust
Lord Lupton (Non-affiliated)
Chair, The Ashmolean Museum
Founder Chair, The Lovington Foundation
Lord Kestenbaum (Lab)
Chancellor, University of Plymouth
Trustee, Teach First
Chair, Chief Rabbinate Charitable Trust
Lord Davies of Abersoch (Non-affiliated)
Chair, Letter One
Chair, Glyndebourne Opera House
Lord Levy (Lab)
Life President, Jewish Care, Sense, Barnet and Southgate College, JFS School and JLGB
Lord Wei (Con)
Co-founder and Director, The Shaftesbury Partnership
Co-founder, Teach First
Lord Fink (Con)
Lord Stuart Marks
Malik Karim
Founder and CEO, Fenchurch Advisory Partners
Mark Adlestone
Chair, Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust
Martin Port
Matthew Westerman
Chair, Clocktower Foundation
Meheen Rangoonwala
Global Programme Manager, Rangoonwala Foundation
Michael Samuel
Chair, Anna Freud
Chair, Full Fact
Chair, Somerset Community Foundation
Chair, Family Foundations
Michelle Pinggera
Deputy Chair, The King's Trust International
Mike Still
Mike Welch
Founder, Blackcircles.com
Founder, The Welch Trust
Trustee, King's Trust USA
Neil Blair
Founder and Chair, The Jigsaw Network
Nick Wheeler
Founder and Chair, Charles Tyrwhitt Shirt
Nicola Loftus
Senior Vice President, Jewish Care
Oliver Gregson
CEO, Wealth Management, Schroders plc
Oliver Pawle
Chair, Korn Ferry Board
Paul Drechsler
Trustee, The Felix Project
Peter Samuelson
Chair, First Star Scholars UK
Philip Marsden
Chair, MCC Foundation
Chair, Marsden Family Trust
Trustee, Royal Academy
Ric Lewis
Founder and Chair, The Black Heart Foundation
Richard Huntingford
Vice-President, The King's Trust
Richard Oldfield
Chair, The Christopher and Henry Oldfield Trust
Richard Reed
Partner, JamJar
Richard Ross
Chair, Rosetrees
Rick Sopher
Roland Rudd
Chair, Tate
Chair, Millfield School
Trustee, Speakers for Schools
Ambassador, Alzheimer's Society
Trustee, Royal Hospital Chelsea
Shabir Randeree
Randeree Charitable Foundation
Chair, King's Trust International
Shahzad Malik
General Partner, Advent Life Sciences
Chair, MQ
Shalni Arora
Savannah Wisdom
Sherry Coutu
Chair, Founders4Schools
Shobi Khan
CEO, Canary Whary Group
Trustee, British Library
Simon Collins
Chair, Global Leadership Board, University of Manchester
Simon Turner
Co-Founder, Inflexion Private Equity
Trustee, Inflexion Foundation
Chair, The Roundhouse
Sir Damon Buffini
Chair, National Theatre and Royal Anniversary Trust
Co-Founder, Buffini Chao Foundation
Sir Douglas Flint
Chair, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity
Sir Jeremy Isaacs
Chair, The J Isaacs Charitable Trust
Honorary Life Chair, Noah's Ark Children's Hospice
Sir John and Lady Sorrell
Co-Founders and Trustees, The Sorrell Foundation and The National Saturday Club
Sir Keith Mills
Patron, Sported
Sir Kenneth Olisa
Founder and Chair, Aleto Foundation
Chair, BusinessLDN
Sir Lloyd Dorfman
Chair, Royal Opera House
Deputy Chair, Community Security Trust
Sir Martin Sorrell
Executive Chair, Founder, S4 Capital
Founder, WPP
Chair, JMCMRJ Sorrell Foundation
Sir Mick Davis
Sir Nicholas Coleridge
Chair, Historic Royal Palaces
Sir Paul Marshall
Chair and CIO, Marshall Wace
Founder, the Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship
Sir Ron Kalifa
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Founder and President, Stelios Philanthropic Foundation
Sir Victor Blank
Sonal Sachdev Patel
CEO, GMSP Foundation
Philanthropist in Residence, LSE
Stephen Brenninkmeijer
Founder, Willows Investments
Stephen Grabiner
Founder and Chair, The Blue Thread Foundation
Steve Morgan
Founder and Chair of The Steve Morgan Foundation
Steve Rigby
Chair, The Rigby Foundation
Steven Kaye
Director, The Aimwell Charitable Trust
Steven Lewis
Founder, Lewis and Partners
President, Jewish Care
Stuart Gulliver
Chair, Maggie's Cancer Charity
Stuart Roden
Founder and Chair, Roden Family Foundation
Co-Founder and Chair, Unlocking Potential
Chair, the Design Museum
Sunita Arora
Founder, Arora Charitable Foundation
Surinder Arora
Founder and Chair, The Arora Group
Tania Slowe and Paddy Walker
Chair, J Leon Philanthropy Council
Hon Charles Wigoder
Founder and Chair, The Wigoder Family Foundation
William Sieghart
Chair, Henry Smith Foundation
Yan Huo
Founder, Huo Family Foundation