Starmer insists Government's welfare reforms must be pushed through
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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Scottish Sun
32 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
John Swinney claims youth violence is falling – so why is government holding a knife crime summit?
IF everything is so great and youth violence really is falling, why did John Swinney hold an emergency summit on the matter? It's an important question for the Scottish Government after it called the gathering last week amid growing concerns about a wave of horrendous knife incidents. 4 First Minister John Swinney MSP 4 There is growing alarm after knife tragedies like Kory McCrimmon, 16 Credit: Refer to Caption When SNP ministers announced Thursday's summit — as well as after the event, and probably during it — they went out of their way to tell people how rosy everything was, waving around stats suggesting that youth violence is in fact diminishing. This cowardly muddle is symptomatic of a government which can't decide what's most important. Doing the absolute utmost to make the country a better place, or protecting its own reputation. But, then, that's what 'summits' are so often about. At worst, they are the epitome of a vacuous, on-the-hoof, style-over-substance politics that governments love to embrace when they are running on empty. They're usually called when ministers want to look like they're getting tough with some issue of public concern which they've failed to tackle. Getting lots of folk who already agree with each other to sit around a table, sip free tea and scoff biscuits, and say the same things they've been saying for years is pretty much the opposite of honestly confronting a crisis. And as past experience shows, summits tend to solve nothing. But under the SNP, they have been a go-to, barrel-scraping tool at times of trouble. There have been too many to mention them all, but into this category falls the sectarianism summit following the Old Firm 'shame game' in 2011. It led to the disastrous Offensive Behaviour at Football Act — later repealed, of course. In 2020, Nicola Sturgeon held a drug deaths summit. Fatalities kept rising, and ministers are still sticking to the same, failing formula of keeping people hooked rather than tipping the balance towards rehab. On today's issue — youth violence — the Scottish Government held a series of summits in 2023 about pupil behaviour and ways to create 'safe' environments in schools. Find out what's really going on Register now for our free weekly politics newsletter for an insightful and irreverent look at the (sometimes excruciating) world of Scottish Politics. Every Thursday our hotshot politics team goes behind the headlines to bring you a rundown of key events - plus insights and gossip from the corridors of power, including a 'Plonker' and 'Star' of the Week. Sign up now and make sure you don't miss a beat. The politicians would hate that. SIGN UP FOR FREE NOW If you want to know how successful they were, look no further at where we are now. Summits tend to be PR rather than policy exercises. But a further potential motivation is even more cynical. It's when a government whips up a storm over some moral panic for political gain. Admittedly, this is rare, but when it does happen then further summits will rightly raise even more suspicions. It is in that territory we find ourselves with the issue of youth violence, given the Scottish Government's last summit in April. That gathering saw John Swinney summon a group of organisations and political parties to talk about the rise of Reform UK and — as he put it — 'protecting Scotland's values'. As elections guru Prof Sir John Curtice alluded to at the time, that event looked suspiciously like a tactic, aimed at making it unpalatable for Scottish Labour to accept Reform's votes if there's a hung parliament in 2026. It also had the effect of further publicising Reform — much like Swinneys's tawdry tactics in the Hamilton by-election, when he falsely claimed it was a 'two-horse race between the SNP and Farage' in a bid to strangle Labour support. So, forgive me for casting a skeptical eye on this latest event. Because it looks like yet another example of kneejerk grandstanding that won't fix anything — especially given those Scottish Government statements downplaying its need. In the press release announcing the youth violence summit, and in statements from Justice Secretary Angela Constance afterwards, they cherry-picked figures claiming 'serious assaults by 11 to 18 year olds fell 27 per cent between 2019/20 and 2024/25 from 428 to 313'. They also listed all the great things being done by the SNP government and 'record funding' for tackling violence. But they went out of their way to avoid mentioning the two fatal alleged stabbings of teenage boys in Scotland, and another tragedy last year. Or that last month, Chief Constable Jo Farrell raised concerns about trends around violent crime by youngsters against youngsters with, as she put it, a 'notable proportion' of it in and around schools. They didn't mention that in May, figures emerged showing a record 248 confiscations of weapons in schools in 2024, compared to 169 in 2018. Or that figures flagged at Holyrood suggested a 600 per cent rise in serious assaults by teenagers in the past five years, with eleven injured by knives in the two months to May. Or that last week's Scottish Crime and Justice Survey publication showed a quarter of all violent crime last year — up from five per cent previously — took place at the victim's workplace and was inflicted by someone aged under 16, with the most common location being education or care settings. Ministers did not talk about how they have persistently faced questions about inadequate police resourcing a lenient approach to youth sentencing which may give young people the impression that they won't get seriously punished even if they are violent. Or that ministers have passed the buck on the deeply problematic use of mobiles in schools which experts say is fuelling misogynistic behaviour and attacks on female teachers. And the bottom line remains — if things are so bloody wonderful, why were they calling an emergency summit? Like many things in life, you only learn how to fix a problem if you face up to it. With youth violence, SNP ministers still seem a long way off this. 4 Chris Musson Credit: Andrew Barr
The National
43 minutes ago
- The National
Israel-Iran conflict could escalate to a 'very dark place' warns FM
The death toll in both countries has continued to rise as they have both undertaken missile strikes over the weekend. The conflict began four days ago when Israel attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, with Iran then launching retaliatory strikes. The conflict has so far caused the loss of hundreds of lives, while human rights group Amnesty International warned that the strikes should not take the focus from the genocide happening Gaza. Speaking to journalists on Monday, John Swinney said that the situation in the Middle East could 'not be more concerning'. READ MORE: SNP minister clashes with BBC Scotland host over Scottish independence He added: 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has been unconscionable, and amongst the main discussions I had at the British Irish Council at the end of last week were discussions about the importance of humanitarian aid, which is sitting on the border in Jordan, reaching into Gaza. It's all sitting there able to go and being stopped. 'It's unconscionable that that is happening just now, and the conflict with Iran has the potential to escalate to a very dark place. 'I think all of that says to me that the international community and the United Kingdom Government particularly have got to marshal their efforts to constrain Israel and to de-escalate this conflict, both in Gaza and between Israel and Iran. 'And the sooner that happens the better.' The National put to Swinney that Chancellor Rachel Reeves had said that the UK Government could 'potentially' support Israel in the conflict, and asked what his assessment was of Westminster's approach. 'I think the UK Government has got to put more emphasis and weight into the de-escalation and the resolution of this conflict, because this will be, I think you don't need me to tell you this, has got catastrophic implications written all over,' he said. (Image: PA) Swinney was asked by broadcasters about the situation in the Middle East, and reports that there are Scots trapped in the region because of closed airspace. He repeated his call for de-escalation and said that it would require a 'whole-hearted effort of the international community' to achieve a peace settlement. Swinney said: 'A crucial part of that must be the resolution of the situation in Palestine, with the recognition of an independent Palestinian state and a two state solution. 'And as a matter of absolute urgency, which it was a long time ago, for the resumption of humanitarian aid in Gaza. All of these factors are so significant to international peace.' The First Minister said Scottish Government officials could put any Scots stranded in the Middle East in touch with the Foreign Office to provide assistance. READ MORE: Scottish Winter Fuel Payments to match UK's, John Swinney says It comes as Israel's military claimed on Monday to have achieved 'aerial superiority' over Iran's capital. The military says it has degraded Iranian air defences and missile systems to the point that its planes can now operate over Tehran without facing major threats, claiming Israel now controls the skies from western Iran to Tehran. Iran announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel's sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since Friday. Israel said so far 24 people have been killed and more than 500 injured as Iran launched more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones. Health authorities also reported that 1277 people were wounded in Iran, without distinguishing between military officials and civilians. Rights groups, such as the Washington-based Iranian advocacy group called Human Rights Activists, have suggested that the Iranian government's death toll is a significant undercount. The group said it has documented more than 400 people killed, among them 197 civilians. Israel argues that its assault on Iran's top military leaders, uranium enrichment sites and nuclear scientists was necessary to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, and the US and others have assessed that Tehran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003. But Iran has enriched ever-larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have the capacity to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so. While the conflict has gripped headlines, eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday in a shooting near Israeli- and US-supported food distribution points in the Gaza Strip. Witnesses blamed the Israeli military, which did not immediately comment.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Flood defences to receive £7.9bn investment over next decade
The Government has announced plans to invest what it says is a record £7.9 billion in flood defences over the next 10 years. The Environment Department (Defra) said the money will be spent on rolling out high-performance flood barriers as well as nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration. Climate change is increasing the risk and frequency of flooding in the UK, with the Environment Agency saying one in four properties in England will be in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water by mid-century. It comes ahead of the Government's expected unveiling of its infrastructure strategy – a long-term plan to invest in and deliver major infrastructure over the next 10 years. The aim of the flooding programme is to protect hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure as the flood risk intensifies, save public services money and support economic growth. Defra said every £1 spent on flood defences is expected to prevent around £8 in economic damage. The major funding pledge will bolster the Government's mission of accelerating economic growth, by reducing the time and costs businesses face when recovering from floods and empowering them to invest in local areas. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: 'Protecting citizens is the first duty of any Government. 'Under the Plan for Change, this Government is taking urgent action with the largest flooding programme in our country's history. 'We will leave no stone unturned to protect our citizens.' Philip Duffy, chief executive at the Environment Agency, said: 'As our changing climate continues to bring more extreme weather to the nation, it's never been more vital to invest in new flood defences and repair our existing assets. 'This long-term investment will be welcome news for businesses and homeowners, who have too often faced the destructive nature of flooding. 'Our priority will continue to be working with the Government and local authorities to ensure as many properties are protected as possible.' The nearly £8 billion investment follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing departmental budgets for the next three years in her spending review last week, which included an overall real terms squeeze on the environment spend. The Government confirmed that £4.2 billion will be spent on the flooding programme up until 2028/29. Defra said this money will be focused on both capital and resources such as building new defences and repairing and maintaining existing ones. On the other hand, the £7.9 billion 10-year settlement is solely capital spending, which means the total spent on flood resilience will be higher, subject to future spending reviews. Responding to the announcement, James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said: 'We need to invest in climate-proofing our nation but not at the cost of the natural world that sustains us. 'If we're serious about protecting communities, the answer lies in funding for natural flood management not building homes in floodplains and pouring concrete. 'Instead we need to rewiggle rivers, restore wetlands, reintroduce beavers, nature's master engineers, and apply upstream thinking to slow the flow.'
