Latest news with #DavidBlunkett
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
David Blunkett warns Keir Starmer about scrapping the two-child benefit cap saying it will only inspire families to have more children
Work, not welfare, should pay, New Labour grandee David Blunkett has urged as he backed keeping the two-child benefit cap. The former home secretary, who grew up in poverty, said giving families more money would only inspire them to have more children. His intervention puts him at odds with the former prime minister Gordon Brown, who is leading the charge to try to abolish the cap. It will put Sir Keir Starmer under pressure as he debates whether to raise or scrap the limit, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children. Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Lord Blunkett said work, not handouts, is the best way to raise families out of poverty. He said: 'Surely having children that you cannot afford to feed is the legacy of a bygone era? 'The simple and obvious truth is that child poverty springs from the lack of income of the adults who care for them. There is a limit to how much money taxpayers are willing to hand over to pay for another family's children. Helping them to help themselves is a different matter.' The Prime Minister is facing revolt from Labour backbenchers who demand the Conservative policy is scrapped. Last week, Nigel Farage said he would end it, further upping the stakes. Sir Keir has hinted that he would like to scrap the policy when the fiscal conditions allow, while his Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said axing it is 'on the table' as part of a child poverty review. However, factions within Labour oppose ending the cap because it is seen as fair by middle-class voters who have had to make difficult decisions about the size of their own families. Axing the cap would also cost about £3.5 billion and would need to be funded by cuts or tax rises. It would represent another U-turn by the PM, who has already backtracked on winter fuel payments and could do the same with disability benefits. It came as the welfare minister said she would not make benefits claimants take any job, prompting the Tories to accuse her of handing them a free pass. Alison McGovern rejected the Conservative policy of getting claimants to take on any work offered to them, telling The Sun on Sunday: 'The Tories used to talk about ABC: 'Any job, Better job, Career.' 'I think that if you think about the career... If we can get people into an NHS job where they're more likely to move on and move up, that is far better.' But Tory shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said: 'The mask has slipped and it's the same old Labour. Those who can work, should work. To do otherwise is unfair to them, unfair to the taxpayer and unfair to society which pays the spiralling cost of worklessness.' A Labour source slapped down Ms McGovern, saying those on benefits must accept 'reasonable job offers', adding: 'There's no change in policy. The rules remain the same.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will order her MPs to join with Labour rebels and vote against any cuts to benefits to humiliate Sir Keir. More than 100 Labour MPs have signed a letter to the PM warning they will not support his cuts when the vote comes before Parliament later this month. He has a working majority of 165, while the Tories have 120 MPs, meaning that if enough Labour MPs vote against the plans, the Government could be defeated. The Tories would oppose the plans on the basis that the cuts do not go far enough, The Sun on Sunday reported.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
David Blunkett and Gordon Brown at war over the 2 child benefit cap as new stats suggest more kids falling into poverty
NEW Labour big beasts are at war over proposals to scrap the two-child benefit cap — as statistics suggest more youngsters are being plunged into poverty. In a bombshell intervention, ex-Home Secretar y David Blunkett today comes out against tearing up the welfare limit. 3 It puts him at loggerheads with former PM Gordon Brown, who branded the benefit cap cruel and is leading the charge to abolish it. Lord Blunkett's explosive comments come as Sir Keir Starmer is under huge pressure over the policy. An estimated 4.5million kids were living in relative poverty last year compared with 4.3million the year before, figures from the End Child Poverty coalition show. Furious Labour MPs are in open revolt over the two-child cap — which they want scrapped. Imposed in 2017, it stops parents claiming child tax credit or universal credit worth up to £3,455 per year for more than two children. Reform leader Nigel Farage fanned the flames last week by vowing to ditch it if he becomes PM. Downing Street accused him of 'fantasy economics' and said his £3.5billion spending pledge was unfunded. 3 But amid bitter rows inside the Government about it, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said axing the cap is 'on the table'. Writing in today's The Sun on Sunday, Lord Blunkett said work, not handouts, is the best way to raise families out of poverty. He said: 'Surely having children that you cannot afford to feed is the legacy of a bygone era? 'The simple and obvious truth is that child poverty springs from the lack of income of the adults who care for them.' A decision on the cap is set for the autumn — with Chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to announce tax rises to pay for it if it is axed. Privately, Government figures believe the clear direction of travel is that it will be lifted. Adding to the pressure on No 10, figures shared exclusively with The Sun on Sunday suggest the number of children in poverty in Sir Keir's own constituency is soaring. Holborn and St Pancras in London had a rate of 47 per cent last year compared with 36.3 per cent the year before, the End Child Poverty coalition found. The group defines child poverty to be growing up in a household where income is 60 per cent below average. For a family of one adult and one child this is £263 a week and for a family of two adults and two children it is £547 a week. A slew of Labour Cabinet ministers represent seats with high levels of child poverty, the research found. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood's Birmingham Ladywood seat had the highest, at 61.9 per cent. Rachel Reeves represents a constituency where one in three kids are in poverty while Deputy PM Angela Rayner's seat has almost 40 per cent. The PM has promised to cut child poverty by the 2029 election. Axing the cap will cost about £3.5billion and would have to be funded by tax rises or even deeper cuts. Ditching it and a full U-turn on the winter fuel allowance would together cost £5billion. It is the same amount No 10 is trying to save with its cuts to disability and sickness benefits — being voted on later this month. Around 180,000 households not in work would get more cash, it said. While just 270,000 households in work — but on low wages — would benefit. 3 Lord Blunkett, while backing the cap, supports lifting it for parents who have disabled kids or multiple births — such as twins or triplets. The peer, who was brought up in grinding poverty in Sheffield, also called on the Government to 'come down like a ton of bricks' on absent fathers who do not pay for their kids. Tomorrow, more than 130 charities will call on Labour to axe the two-child policy in full. Dan Paskins, of Save the Children, said: 'A record number of children are now in poverty and this is under the noses of our MPs, particularly Cabinet members.' A Government spokeswoman said: 'We've already expanded free breakfast clubs, introduced a cap on cost of school uniforms, increased the national minimum wage for the lowest incomes, uprated benefits in April and supported 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.'
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Teach more British history, former Education Secretaries say
KIDS must learn more British history like the Battle of Waterloo, two former education secretaries say. Labour's David Blunkett and Tory Nadhim Zahawi have joined forces to back a drive to get more British history taught at GCSE level. 4 Key moments in British history have been dropped from studies, an investigation by Policy Exchange found. The think tank found only 11 per cent of schools teaching the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. They called for a new paper to be introduced for all students taking history at GCSE covering British history from 1066 to 1989. Mr Zahawi said it would ensure children have a 'strong understanding' of Britain's national story. He added: 'As a boy who arrived in this great country from Baghdad, I know how important it is that every child in this country – regardless of birth and background – has the opportunity to learn about Britain's inspiring heritage." Lord Blunkett said: 'Students clearly recognise the importance of a grasp of history.' The report also found that over 85 per cent of secondary schools already teach the Norman Conquest, Magna Carta, Industrial Revolution, Slave Trade, colonialism and Britain's roles in the World Wars in years 7 to 9. But, the Wars of the Roses, the Act of Union and the Battle of Agincourt are taught by far fewer schools. Trump promises to restore 'patriotic education' and slams schools 'taking away history' by wanting to teach kids about slavery 4 4
Channel 4
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
Lord Blunkett unveils £14bn plan to fix Yorkshire's railways
Anyone who travels in Yorkshire will tell you that it's railway system is very old and very unreliable. Now, the former Labour home secretary David Blunkett has unveiled a plan to overhaul its 'creaking Victorian-era' railways. His plan is backed by the mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire. The trouble is, it would cost fourteen-billion-pounds, and the Metro mayors for the other side of the Pennines also want seventeen-billion for a faster line between Liverpool and Manchester.
The Guardian
24-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Calls to toughen Lords rules as it is revealed one in 10 peers are paid for political advice
Ninety-one members of the House of Lords have been paid by commercial companies to give political or policy advice, amid concerns that their activities are not being properly regulated. Analysis by the Guardian shows that more than one in 10 peers have taken payments from businesses such as lobbyists and companies operating in the banking, defence and energy sectors. Peers can earn tens of thousands of pounds a year for such roles. They include the former Conservative health minister Andrew Lansley and the ex-Labour home secretary David Blunkett. The Guardian's analysis found 91 members of the Lords were being paid for their political advice by organisations such as Santander bank, the French arms manufacturer Thales and the British digger-maker JCB. Peers are valued for their experience, and the House of Lords rules take into account that many continue to work alongside their role in the upper chamber. Unlike MPs, peers are not paid a salary. However, they are entitled to a daily tax-free allowance of £361. Under these rules, peers can take paid consultancies to give general advice on political issues, current affairs and how parliament works. To prevent commercial concerns from getting an unfair advantage, peers are not allowed to use their political position to lobby directly for an individual company or business that is paying them. This means they cannot contact ministers or officials to promote that company. Nor can they, for example, draw on their political experience to tell the business which official would be best to approach if that company wants to advocate for its commercial interests. But democracy campaigners suggest that despite the rules permitting them taking on such roles, there is an inherent conflict between their public duty in the Lords and the commercial pressures of the companies for which many are working. Peers have often taken these positions after stepping into the Lords and are often providing advice in sectors where they have no apparent previous experience. Campaigners say this risks a public perception that peers could be exploiting their political position and connections for personal gain. Sue Hawley, the director of the transparency group Spotlight on Corruption, said: 'There is clearly a risk that peers, who can gain considerable access to ministers and other decision-makers, could be perceived to be using their privileged position to obtain political consultancies of this kind.' She said this could undermine public trust and confidence in the House of Lords. The analysis comes as the Guardian launches a new series, the Lords debate, an investigation into members of the Lords, at a time when the Labour government has made moves to raise standards and reduce the size of the upper chamber. The rules concerning peers are less strict than those that govern MPs, who are no longer allowed to take paid consultancies after scandals such as that of the former cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who broke rules at the time by lobbying for companies that paid him at least £500,000. The government closed a loophole that had previously allowed MPs to advise clients on 'public policy' and how parliament broadly functions. The restrictions were not extended to the Lords. Concerns are more acute with peers who are working for lobbying businesses. The Guardian's analysis shows that 24 peers have been paid by such companies. Lobbying firms are typically hired by companies and organisations to influence ministers, officials or politicians to, for instance, drop damaging policies. These concerns about lords working for such companies were highlighted earlier this month when the lobbying company Stonehaven announced it had hired Charlotte Vere, a peer and former government minister, as a partner. The job was withdrawn within days after a row broke out about the appointment. Alastair McCapra, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, a trade association that represents lobbying firms, said such companies should not have peers on their payroll. 'There should be a firewall between debating and passing laws as a legislator, and acting to change/prevent change in the law through lobbying,' he said. Campaigners have questioned why lobbying companies are hiring peers who are specifically barred under the House of Lords rules from lobbying. The campaigners say the rules of the upper chamber mean peers can only discuss general political issues or how parliament broadly functions with the lobbying companies. Hawley said: 'It is hard to believe that any professional lobbying firm would need to pay peers for advice on public policy and how parliament works when this is bread and butter for these firms.' Below are examples of peers who have taken on consultancies. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any of the peers highlighted. Party LabourYear of peerage 2015Company being advised DLA Piper since 2024 Lord Blunkett, who was a cabinet minister in Tony Blair's governments, has a series of consultancy roles. He is paid to be an adviser on public policy and internal understanding of government and policy development for the legal and lobbying company DLA Piper. He said: 'I advise DLA Piper on their broader work here and across the world … My contract with them explicitly rules out 'lobbying'.' Party ConservativeYear of peerage 2015Company being advised Low Associates since 2015 The former Tory cabinet minister Lord Lansley is a director of the public policy consultancy Low Associates. The company is run by Sally Low, the wife of Lansley. According to the business, Lansley is a 'member of the UK House of Lords and acts as Low's strategic counsel. With his extensive experience in policy and public affairs, Lord Lansley is uniquely positioned to advise Low's clients on how to achieve their strategic objectives.' Low Associates says it is not a lobbying company and Lansley is not involved in lobbying. It says it mainly operates in Europe, with some work in Britain. Party ConservativeYear of peerage 2014Company being advised Rud Pedersen since 2023 Lady Evans was the leader of the Lords under the previous Conservative government between 2016 and 2022. In 2023 she was hired by Rud Pedersen, a big lobbying company. She is described as a 'senior adviser' who 'supports the firm's consultants in providing general advice on the broad development of UK policy and regulation'. The full list of the company's clients is not made public. She and Rud Pedersen have previously said she would not lobby for its clients. Evans did not respond to a request to comment. Party CrossbencherYear of peerage 2020Company being advised The Purpose Coalition (formerly Purpose Business Coalition) since 2021 The former Labour MP Lord Walney was ennobled by Boris Johnson, who also appointed him as his government's adviser on political violence. Woodcock reviewed whether the government should curb protest groups such as those campaigning against the climate crisis and wars. He was accused of a conflict of interest as he was a consultant for lobby groups representing arms manufacturers and fossil fuel companies. He worked for the Purpose Business Coalition, an organisation run by a lobbying company, and the lobbyists Rud Pedersen. Woodcock denied the claim, saying he had 'consistently applied an objective standard and sought a wide range of perspectives'. Woodcock did not respond to a request to comment. _____ The Guardian's analysis has taken information from the House of Lords register of financial interests, which lists peers' declared paid positions, up to the end of October 2024. From this register the Guardian identified 91 peers hired to give advice about political matters, defined in the register as advising, for instance, on 'public affairs', 'public policy', 'strategic advice', 'government and policy development' or 'political risk'.
