Starmer insists Government's welfare reforms must be pushed through
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the Government's welfare reforms must be pushed through in an indication there will be no more concessions to quell backbench unease over cuts to disability benefits.
The Prime Minister said 'everybody agrees' the social security system is not working and needs to change, when asked if there would be more measures to see off a Labour rebellion.
The Government has sought to soften the impact of its plans, which it hopes will save £5 billion a year by 2030, in a bid to reassure MPs concerned about the impact of the cuts.
The proposals include tightening eligibility for personal independence payments.
Up to 1.3 million people across England and Wales could lose at least some support under the changes, the Government has suggested.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall earlier this week promised 'non-negotiable' protections for the most vulnerable benefits recipients would be included in the welfare bill in a bid to quell backbench unease, the Guardian reported.
Asked whether there would be further concessions, the Prime Minister told reporters travelling with him to the G7 in Canada: 'Well we have got to get the reforms through and I have been clear about that from start to finish.
'The system is not working, it's not working for those that need support, it's not working for taxpayers.
'Everybody agrees it needs reform, we have got to reform it and that is what we intend to do.'
The welfare reform bill is due to be published next week.
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Britain jobless hotspots: The areas where benefits claims have soared by 40% since Rachel Reeves' National Insurance raid on businesses
These are the UK's jobless hotspots where benefits claims have spiked by nearly 40 per cent in some areas within a matter of months in the wake of Labour's National Insurance raid on businesses. The scale of the increase in unemployment handouts over the past year has been laid bare amid mounting fears over the impact of Labour's raid on businesses. ONS estimates released last week showed a quarter of a million jobs have gone since Rachel Reeves' declared she was hiking national insurance, business rates and the minimum wage at the Budget last Autumn. UK-wide 1,733,645 people were claiming payments such as Universal Credit and JobSeekers Allowance in May, up 8 per cent or 128,355 on a year earlier. The increase has been particularly sharp among younger workers, with the retail and hospitality industry having been hard hit. There were 303,280 claimants aged 18-24 as of last month, 26,730 higher - 10 per cent - than the previous year. Meanwhile, in Luton North, the unadjusted claimant count was up 39 per cent, with the claim rate hitting 6.6 per cent. Areas such as Poplar and Harrow in London and Yardley in Birmingham have seen some of the largest surges in people claiming the benefits, with on claimant even boasting to MailOnline how they use the money to fund 'luxuries' and a 'middle-class lifestyle'. He said: 'You get comfortable being on benefits. Everything is paid for. It's brilliant. 'The benefits are paid and the housing is paid so you can afford luxuries. You can live as well as the middle class.' The claimant rate, the proportion of the working age population getting handouts, has gone from 3.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent across the UK The claimant rate, the proportion of the working age population getting handouts, has gone from 3.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent. In Ealing Southall the count was up 32 per cent. In Birmingham Yardley there has been a 30 per cent spike, as the rate hit an eye-watering 12.1 per cent. But those increases were partly offset by falls in other places, such as Keighley and Ilkley where numbers dropped 13 per cent. Meanwhile the unemployment rate climbed to 4.6 per cent in the three months to April, the highest in nearly four years. MailOnline went to all of the top ten areas which have seen the largest jump to speak to residents about what is really behind the numbers. Poplar and Limehouse In Poplar, the number of claims has increased by 34 percent since May last year. One benefits claimer who did not give his name for fear of losing his benefits, brazenly boasted of how living on government handouts allowed him to have a 'middle-class lifestyle'. He said: 'You get comfortable being on benefits. Everything is paid for. It's brilliant. 'The benefits are paid and the housing is paid so you can afford luxuries. You can live as well as the middle class. 'It is a luxury that we have living in a first world country where they will give you whatever you need. 'If you want to be upper class then you have to go get a job but otherwise you don't need one. I can sit back and the government will pay for me.' But for Jill Petre, 50, benefits aren't a choice. She said she has been unable to work since getting arthritis and fibromyalgia and now claims benefits herself. She said: 'There are no jobs. I was working in a school and they let me go because of poor health. 'There's just no jobs round here for the young ones. When I was growing up we used to have apprenticeships. A lot of my friends have moved out of the area. There is nothing left here. 'The government need to bring back apprenticeships so young people can get paid, even if it's just pennies.' Peri Cook, 62, who used to own a pie and mash shop before retiring, said: 'There is a real lack of work. Some of the youngsters don't want to work. They go in to crime as that's where the money is. 'It's hard getting jobs. That's why all the kids go to college because they can't go anywhere else. My nephews are struggling, they have been in and out of jobs. 'The council should be doing a lot more. They need to give people more education so they can learn the right skills.' In nearby Limehouse, 34 percent more people are on unemployment benefits compared to a year ago. Robert Sbragg, 70, a retired scrap metal worker said: 'It is because nobody wants to do anything. Why should you when the council will pay you benefits and your flat is paid for. 'There are people living here who are 80 and have never worked. There is a high population of Bangladeshi people, and the white people won't give them jobs. 'It will never change because people know how to take advantage of the system. Most of my mates did it when we were younger. They couldn't get a job there was no choice.' Birmingham Yardley Church Road acts as one of the gateways into the main high street of Yardley - a place filled with corner shops and Turkish barbers. Only a handful of independent specialist businesses remain in the area and locals say industrial decline thanks to Covid has wiped out the vast majority of nearby jobs. Homelessness hot pockets are thriving in the area, with some people spotted sleeping on hard benches and others urinating in the street. Businesses say it's easier for people to claim benefits than work, with some of those people resorting to looting shops. Thefts are at an all-time high, with many pointing the finger at people claiming benefits while living in council-funded homes. Helen Hannaford, who helps run Baz's Model Rail shop with her husband Barry, said she often sees the 'same faces' drinking in the local Wetherspoons - on a daily basis. Mother-of-two Helen said: 'The stats don't surprise me, a lot of people don't have jobs. The high street is dead too. 'What jobs there are appear very limited at the moment, the type of work has changed. We used to have the JLR factory nearby but Covid happened a lot of people lost their jobs. 'You'll see the same people in the pub every day, it's the same faces.' Another local, called John, added: 'They get more in the benefits. They get more for their benefits than working. It's all credit. 'They don't work or pay their national insurance and they'll get a state pension. They get free rent and council tax. It's ridiculous.' Retired print trade worker Mike Brayn, 74, said he felt there wasn't enough opportunity in the area. He said: 'I think for the younger generation there isn't enough opportunity. 'There isn't enough jobs advertised, the type of things that they're now looking at, the younger generation, is obviously to do with hi-tech. 'There aren't enough opportunities for them. If they're going to get a job it's in a cafe or in a bar, or something like that.' On whether people were abusing the system, he said: 'It's probably 50/50. The benefit system now, not that I've ever signed onto it, is easier for them to claim on that side of thing. 'There isn't enough investigation to affect them. If you look around at the roads, the streets and the other things, you only need to look around and see the house, gardens. Everywhere is just downtrodden. 'I'm a pensioner and look what the government has taken away. The winter fuel payment, that kind of thing. Is there anything that has ever been given back for that? I don't think it ever will.' Former printing press worker Thomas Roche, 72, thinks the minimum wage rate has seen job opportunities slump in recent months. He said: 'We moved here in 1990. I think a lot of people are struggling to find work. They're not taking people on. 'I don't know much as I've not been to the job centre. But there seems to more people out there. I've spotted one or two [homeless people] in the area.' On why Yardley is so high on the new list, he added: 'I don't know, people seem to be doing okay. I go to King's Heath for shopping and there's a lot more people about. I don't know what the unemployment rate is like but there's a lot more people shopping. 'It's quiet here. I think it's because the minimum wage has come in and the employers insurance has gone up, so people don't want to take new people on.' Flower shop owner Darren Pearce, 54, who runs Ripe n Ready, said the area was in decline thanks to a lack of effort to change. He said: 'You can walk in and pinch stuff that you want. The government don't care, so it's easier for them to do that then work. 'A lot of people don't want to come around anymore. No one wants to interact or help each other. 'Ever since Covid people don't want to change anything around here. They don't want to change anything.' His wife Karen, 53, who runs the shop alongside Darren, said: 'The area has gone quite downhill in the recent years. A lot of our customers don't feel safe coming down here so they order a lot of the stuff they want. 'There's jobs out there, I just think the youth of today aren't bothered. Our age group they all work and do whatever. 'But the kids today don't want to work, it's too easy on benefits for them. They can get whatever they want. 'If I could get benefits and not work, I'd do that. You don't have to pay your rent, your water bills, council tax. You get free dentists and opticians. 'Then there's people who are struggling with what they're earning who don't get any help at all. 'The area has declined. We've had a good year in the shop but the businesses, everyone can help themselves. 'It's too easy to go into a shop and help yourself to whatever you want. So why work. 'There aren't that many jobs in this area to be fair, I don't know about the job centre as I work. But there's never anyone advertising for jobs around here.' East Ham In East Ham, jobless benefits claims have shot up by 27 percent. Piratheepa Papaualarathinn, 49, is a father-of-one who moved to East Ham from Shrilanka 26 years ago, and says he thinks benefit claimers are just 'lazy'. He said: 'There's a lot of people claiming benefits here. I will never take a penny. 'They just don't want to go to work. I have never taken one pence, I had to do everything myself. 'They just want to take money from the council. There are a lot of jobs in this country. If a man is ready he needs to go to work. 'A lot of people take money from the council and don't do anything. They are lazy people who don't want to do to work.' Joe Rodriguez, 61, a former journalist who moved to the UK from Australia four years ago, said: 'There's a lot of people working but they still claim benefits on the side. 'It's a very highly immigrated area and people are coming from bad situations. They are overwhelmed by opportunity. 'The more dollars people can get in their pockets the better. If you can find a way to then you're going to exploit it. 'There is nothing the government can do. The harder they squeeze the more slips through their fingers. 'I am not saying it's the right thing to do, but it's the way of life. You see the politicians and elites only care about money, regular people can do the same.' Bethnal Green and Stepney Over in Bethnal Green, numbers have also shot up by 27 percent. Vivian Akpoedafe, 21, said: 'I definitely agree that it's hard to get a job. I babysit for family and friends because it is quite tough to get other work.' Rebecca Briden, 37, a freelance cleaner, added: 'It can be a nice place but there is a lot of crime. The pros outweigh the cons. 'The increase doesn't surprise me. Most people are on benefits for health reasons. Loads of people who I clean for want to work but can't physically do it. 'I used to be on universal credit. I think mostly people struggle to find a job. Everyone's situation is different it's not black and white. 'I think there is lots of help out there with the job centres. It's a ripple effect because if they force people who are not able to work into jobs there will be a strain on the NHS. 'They are putting too much pressure on people to get jobs when they can't.' Barbara Hardy, 59, who was born in the area and works for Asda said: 'I love this place. You can't beat Bethnal Green. People have a lot more money around here now than they used to. 'I think it is quite hard to get a job anywhere now. If you're not trained then it's impossible to get hired. 'It didn't help that they keep putting national insurance up. I think the government needs to do a lot more to get people the training that they need.' Richard Bolden, 76, a retired civil servant says the problem lies with shops shutting during Covid - leaving few jobs on the market. The resident of 26 years said: 'The problem is everywhere, not just here. 'Labour took away the winter fuel allowance, and people started claiming benefits in other places. Now they are paying out more money than they would have. 'We lost a lot of shops to Covid and with that a lot of jobs. There is nowhere to work. 'Starmer is losing all the money that he said he would save. I think most people have given up.' In nearby Stepney Green, residents agreed saying the area has declined. Retired Charlie Metz, 54, who has lived in Stepney for 21 years said: 'That has really shocked me. I didn't realise unemployment benefits had gone up so much. 'The amount of unemployment has probably had a knock on effect on crime, which I have noticed is going up. A lot of people are saying that the area is going downhill. Maybe there is some truth in that. 'I know lots of people who are struggling to get work. They just take the first job they are offered. A lot of the time they are the second choice so get right to the end only to get shoved aside.' Ilford South In Ilford, claims have gone up by 26 percent. Miam Mumtaz, 42, a loss prevention worker who has lived in Ilford for 20 years said: 'I am always employed. 'It does shock me. I don't see any reason they shouldn't be working. The government need to make people work and stop giving them money. 'In my whole life I've only been unemployed for three months. It is shameful not to. If I can move my legs then I can work.' Mr M Khan, who works in the property sector, said: 'This is a dead area, there are no jobs around. People run businesses with their families so they don't hire anyone. 'The only jobs available are in central London so everyone commutes. 'I don't like people who claim benefits. They don't like to work. If they wanted jobs they would travel to central London. I love to work. 'People move here because it's cheaper than zone three but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't work. 'The government should see the type of people who are claiming and create jobs for them.' Sandra Abraham, 55, a director of finance who has lived in Ilford for 25 years said: 'This was a very conservative place when I moved here and then ten years ago the demographic changed. ' It uses to be working people then it went downhill. 'Lots of families are moving to the area and they claim more benefits. They can't afford childcare so they can't afford to go to work. 'It took my son a year to find a job. I wonder if it's just easier to claim benefits. The bills we have to pay are so much that jobs don't cover it. People get the government to pay them instead.' Harrow East In Harrow East, where the number of claims has increased by 30 per cent, local resident Julie Norton Scott, 56, said it can be 'easier' to claim benefits than get a job. She said: 'In my opinion, the easier option is to claim benefits. 'You get to stay at home – and sometimes, you can actually be getting less money if you go out and get a job.' Ms Norton Scott, who has lived in Harrow for 30 years, also thought 'laziness' played a factor. She said: 'I don't think it's true that there aren't any jobs. There are jobs here. If you want one, you have to go out and find one. 'But people are too lazy.' Sue Harris, 67, had a similar opinion. She said: 'I think it's too easy to claim benefits. I think people don't want to work. 'If you need a job, it doesn't matter what you do. You can go out and stack shelves, you can walk people's dogs. You can earn a fortune doing that. 'If you're earning money, what does it matter? 'But people can be lazy.' Harrow East resident Mohammad Hussain Jan, 24, personally didn't find it difficult to get his first job in the area. However, he doesn't think jobseekers are struggling due to laziness. Instead, he thinks it's to do with the types of work they are looking for. The shop assistant said: 'I moved here a couple months ago and found work on my second day – just by walking up and down the street asking people for a job. 'But I think people are struggling because they're looking for a white-collar job rather than a blue-collar job. 'I think, sometimes, you just have to get what you can – and give 110 per cent to whatever you're doing. 'When I started here, I was just cleaning. Now, I'm working on the counter. 'I think when you're hardworking, you can do it. You can find something.' Harrow West In Harrow West however, where the number of people claiming jobless benefits has also risen by 30 per cent, Rob, 34, has had a very different experience. He has been unemployed for a year and is currently claiming Jobseeker's Allowance – despite weekly trips to his local JobCentre Plus. He said: 'I'm actively looking and it's just impossible. It's not like I'm sitting at home doing nothing. 'I've been to loads of job fairs, I'm constantly asking around, and I'm at this JobCentre every week. 'But nothing is accessible. 'I went to university, I have a degree in History and American Studies, I've worked in central and local government, I've run entire exhibitions before, but I can't get anything. 'I'm applying for administrative work that I know I'm qualified for. 'I think that sometimes it's made out like people on benefits are just doing nothing. 'I think the benefits I receive are better than nothing. But it is hard – because I want to not need them and get a well-paying job. 'But all the things I've gotten close to end up being zero-hours contracts, which means there's no stability. 'And then you risk losing the benefits – and then losing your job. 'I'm trying to stay positive. I just have to keep going. 'But people should know it really can happen to anyone.' Peter Mccloskey, 76, said he thinks having a job has almost become unsustainable in London. The west Harrow local said: 'London is becoming a nightmare. People are paying over £1,000 a month for a tiny room. 'So I just don't now how people get by – especially those who are on low-paid jobs. 'I'm retired now so I don't have to worry anymore. But I volunteer with Crisis over Christmas so I completely understand why people may be claiming benefits. 'There are a lot of vulnerable people – people with mental health issues or dependency issues – and they may be looking for jobs but can really struggle to get one.' Kevin Annand, 62, claimed that things had gotten particularly bad for people in west Harrow because lots of bigger companies had closed down. The taxi driver explained: 'It's the worst I've ever seen Harrow. And it's really hard for people because all of the big companies have closed down. 'So lots of people lost their jobs, and now, there are no more jobs for them to get. 'There's just nothing really viable in the area and so people have to go further afield – but not many people around here have cars. 'It's just getting worse and worse.' Another taxi driver Gary, 64, said things are no better in their trade. He said: 'I've been sat here all day and I've only made £30. 'People have less money than they used to so they're spending less money – which means it's impossible to run a business. 'I almost think sometimes it would be better to sack this off and be unemployed. If I claim benefits, I might get more money than I'm currently earning – and I can stay at home.' Putney In Putney, jobless benefits claims have skyrocketed by a surprising 32 per cent George Roche, 24, secured his first job from Mr Campbell – after a couple years of searching after school In Putney, jobless benefits claims have skyrocketed by a surprising 32 per cent In Putney, where jobless benefits claims have skyrocketed by a surprising 32 per cent, local business owner Richard Campbell says the problem is that there are no entry-level roles for young people. The 61-year-old, who runs a pet shop, said: 'There is just no first step on the ladder. Historically, the high street is where young people get their first jobs. 'But the high street is dying and businesses can't afford to take on apprentices. 'So anyone leaving school nowadays hasn't got a chance of following that traditional route for a job. 'It's so tight for businesses but I'm trying my best to provide opportunities for young people. 'Because here in Putney, we don't have a big Amazon warehouse where people can go and get jobs.' George Roche, 24, secured his first job from Mr Campbell – after a couple years of searching after school. He said: 'I was out of work for a long time. I spent a couple years searching after school – which wasn't made easier by Covid. 'But no one gave me an opportunity. Richard was the first one. 'But even my friends who did go to university are struggling. Because people don't seem to care about degrees – they just want experience. 'But you need that very first experience to have experience.' Ealing Southall Satvir Pander, 65, who has lived in Southall nearly all his life, believes that unemployed people aren't making enough of an effort to find jobs In Ealing Southall, the number of claims have risen by a huge 32 per cent In Ealing Southall, where the number of claims have risen by a huge 32 per cent, Sajsingh Singh, 49, says people come into the shop where he works every day asking for a job. He said: 'There just aren't enough jobs out there anymore. People come in here asking for jobs a lot – once a day at least. 'I think it's a particular problem here because we have a lot of students who come over here from different countries – and they then struggle to get jobs. 'But it's because of the job market. It's not easy. 'And it's only going to get worse as AI takes jobs.' But Satvir Pander, 65, who has lived in Southall nearly all his life, believes that unemployed people aren't making enough of an effort to find jobs. He said: 'There are jobs out there but people don't want to make an effort. 'With the way things are now, they want an easy life. 'So I think sometimes benefits are easier. And meanwhile, the government is squeezing the taxpayer more and more.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Seb would be a shoo-in for race to take on Khan: ANDREW PIERCE
Newly knighted Sadiq Khan is serving a third term as London mayor and has threatened to run for office six times. That's why the Tories hope Seb Coe, 68, a double Olympic gold medallist and the man who masterminded London's successful 2012 Olympic Games, will come to the rescue. Coe set numerous world records in middle distance running, but suffered a rare setback in his career when he was defeated in the race to be president of the International Olympic Committee in the spring. A one-time Tory MP, he is being talked of in Party circles as the stand-out candidate for the London mayoral race in 2028. He is well-known on the international stage, still a household name and would be ideal to lead efforts to bring the football World Cup back to Britain. 'He is a shoo-in for the job if he wants it,' said my Tory HQ mole. 'I cannot talk to anyone who has even a partially closed-off face. That's not rudeness, it's a practicality.' Nicholson, 83, was diagnosed as deaf at the age of 16. Need a map, Chancellor? Little noticed in her Spring Statement was yet another pointless boast by Rachel Reeves. Talking about extending free school meals, she said: 'This will lift 100,000 children out of poverty. Children in schools from Tower Hamlets to Sunderland, Swansea to Bridgend.' Swansea and Bridgend are in Wales, where education is a matter for the Welsh parliament and where free school meals have already been extended. Church of England kremlinologists note the Canterbury diocese's 'statement of needs' for its next Archbishop, which witters on about migrants and has images of women in head-coverings, also has three prominent photographs of the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin. The same Bishop Rose who was chaplain to the ghastly John Bercow when he was Commons Speaker and who helped organise the statement! Is she angling to be archbishop herself? We all love a loony It's been a long time coming, but the longest-serving leader of a political party has at last won something after 43 years, 36 parliamentary elections and 26 by-elections: a British record. Alan 'Howling Laud' Hope is the leader of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, which he founded with Screaming Lord Sutch in 1982. Pub chain JD Wetherspoon is today bestowing its first ever National Treasure Award on him, in the form of a permanent montage at his local pub at Fleet in Hampshire as he celebrates his 83rd birthday there. Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who ran for the Tory leadership twice – in 2019 and 2022 – told the New Statesman podcast: 'I don't think I'll be leader. I've tried three times and failed three times.' He never was very good with numbers. Dinner with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was auctioned for a mighty £55,000 at the Tory Spring Ball last week at the Science Museum. During the auction, one wag was overheard saying: 'It's for the Last Supper.' Musical theatre legend Sir Tim Rice says Freddie Forsyth, who died last week, was one of the great novelists. 'He packed two centuries into his 86 years. Why did he not receive a knighthood?' Quite.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
They wanted to knock down my house to build a £2bn road - I said no so they bulldozed my beloved garden instead
A pensioner had his beloved garden bulldozed after telling the government he didn't want them to knock down his home to make way for a £2bn 'road from hell'. Mr Watkeys, 75, was initially informed officials would not need any of his land or house of 65 years to build the new Heads of the Valleys highway which opened on Friday in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. But a change of mind from the Welsh government meant the longstanding local would go on to lose a third of his precious garden to the scheme where he once grew fruit and veg and sat under a beloved oak tree to watch bats. The 75-year-old, a former microbiologist, was offered compulsory purchase of the property but he refused due to his attachment to the dwelling. As a result, the 28-mile road now snakes round his house not through it and he's left with a massive wall at the end of his garden - which he has started to replant. The Heads of the Valleys road officially opened on Friday after 23 years of roadworks and a £2bn spend. Another affected man described it as 'like the road from hell' at the start of this year but added 'not even Chris Rea would dare come here'. Proponents say the road - one of the UK's expensive and most complex - has made many journeys shorter and hope it will bring prosperity to among Britain's most deprived areas. The 28-mile road now snakes round Mr Watkey's house not through it and he's left with a massive wall at the end of his garden - which he has started to replant Mr Watkeys reminisced he used to love sitting in his garden at night which was then located next to the relatively small A465. He said: 'The whole process has been upsetting. It's been stressful. I'm left picking up the pieces. 'It has been extremely stressful for a lot of years. 'They said we want to knock down your garage and we need your drive. You can imagine my response. So they found another way. 'I like all types of gardening. I grow some of my own veg - kidney beans, broad beans, French beans, peppers, chiles, tomatoes. 'When I was a kid, you'd look out onto the garden, and there'd be goldfinches, bullfinches, tits, wrens, a couple of jays, and woodpeckers. 'You'd hear owls in the evenings. You'd always have a few hedgehogs. 'But now, you're lucky if you see a few blackbirds. 'There aren't any birds left, nothing. It's almost devoid of the wildlife that you used to see. It's because the habit is gone. 'I've lost oaks, I've lost hawthorns. They took down a lovely 70-year-old oak tree at the bottom of my garden. 'In the evenings, bats used to come around the oak tree, for the gnats and insects. Now, you don't see any. I miss it. It was a sign of life, really. 'It's the rebuilding of it. I've turned it over once. I want to put in some lilacs and other plants which I've saved. 'I did a couple of hours out there yesterday digging it over, and it will need some more before I start planting. 'I wanted to plant some stuff in it this year, but somehow I can't see it. It's going to take me another 12 months to dig it over and get some humus in it. 'Unfortunately, at my age, I wont see the full effect of it', he said, adding: 'And all that is because of the road.' Mr Watkeys explained there were initially assurances the new road would not take any of his land - but the powers that be then said they wanted to knock down part of his house. It was then that the Welsh government offered to buy the house, in the Cefn Coed area of Merthyr, but Mr Watkeys said he declined. Mr Watkeys explained there were initially assurances the new road would not take any of his land - but the powers that be then said they wanted to knock down part of his house The keen gardener told of how he grew up in the home and both his parents and wife died there - and that he could not part with it. Mr Watkeys recalled how in February 2019 advisors from the firm involved in the road expansion requested a meeting and came to see him at his home. He said: 'Two of them came and sat down. I made them a cup of tea and a cup of coffee. I can remember it now like it was yesterday. 'They said "our plans have changed. We're going to knock your garage down. '"We want the whole of your drive for our working area and you can have that bit back when we're finished". 'The heating, my hot water and everything was at the back of the garage, so I think you can imagine my response to that. You fight it as best you can.' After challenging that initial offer, Mr Watkeys said the firm came back and said 'we've found another way of doing it. We just need this bit of the garden'. Mr Watkeys said: 'You get compensation but it still hasn't been settled yet. It's a compulsory purchase so they can do what they want. Transport secretary Ken Skates said he thanked residents 'for their patience during the construction period' and the Welsh government continued to 'work with them to resolve any issues' 'They were piledriving right outside my back door. That was hellish noisy. Extremely noisy.' Mr Watkeys has been given interim compensation from the Welsh government for the loss of his garden but is awaiting a full settlement. Transport secretary Ken Skates said he thanked residents 'for their patience during the construction period' and the Welsh government continued to 'work with them to resolve any issues'. The A465 crosses the south Wales coalfields, a national park and twists close to people's homes in some parts. Almost 70 structures - including more than 40 new bridges and a dozen new junctions - have been built amid the upgrade. Workers planted 285,000 trees to mitigate the 'significant environmental impact'.
