Political Opinion: We must get the Welfare Bill down, but Labour don’t have the guts to do it
“Nobody wants to see people simply end up with less to live on”
Monthly column by Blake Stephenson, the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire
We're spending too much money on welfare. We cannot ignore the fact that the welfare bill is rising and placing an increasingly heavy burden on taxpayers. Even Sir Keir Starmer knew that. But he caved to his Labour backbenchers at his first opportunity to do anything about it. And it's only going to get worse under Andy Burnham.
And why should we be surprised when a Labour Minister admitted that every meeting he has with his MPs is about ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’.
That's why Kemi Badenoch has set out the Conservative plan to get the welfare bill down. If Labour won't take it seriously, we will - because we cannot become a welfare state with an economy attached.
I will always stand up for those in Mid Beds who need vital support. Welfare must remain a safety net, but today’s system is too quick to sign people off and too slow to help them back into work. Ending claims for mild mental health conditions and routine back and joint pain, and reinvesting in health support instead, is about getting people the right help rather than simply writing a cheque.
Fairness matters too. Restoring the two-child cap brings fairness between families on benefits and those paying their own way. Reforming the household benefit cap means every adult who can work will be expected to. A new contributory Universal Credit would recognise those who have paid in. Ending access to the benefits system for non-EU foreign nationals. And cutting fraud and error means taxpayers’ money goes where it is meant to.
In a rural constituency like ours, getting into work is not always simple. Jobs and skills are not always in the same place, and good transport links matter. That is why change must go hand in hand with support into work, especially for young people, and with policies that back local businesses. Fixing the incentives is necessary, but not enough on its own.
Nobody wants to see people simply end up with less to live on. I want a country that works, where work pays and support is there for those who need it most.