Latest news with #EstherMcVey
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Thousands of Britain's biggest jobless families in line for taxpayer-funded windfalls if Labour or Reform go through with plans to lift two-child benefit cap
Thousands of Britain's biggest jobless families could receive huge windfalls from the taxpayer under plans to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Labour and Reform are both pushing to ditch the policy brought in by the Tories in 2017 despite the £3.5billion cost it would incur. Critics of the cap claim it has worsened child poverty. But analysis of official figures shows that ditching it would hand thousands of pounds a year in extra benefits to 180,000 large families in which no one goes out to work. Former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey last night said the figures underlined the case for keeping the cap in place. 'Encouraging people to have children that they cannot afford themselves, and expecting others to pick up the tab for them, is financially and morally indefensible,' she said. 'I expect nothing better from Labour, but it is a mistake for Nigel Farage to chase Labour to the Left.' Ms McVey said it was 'bizarre' for Reform to want to 'expand the welfare state in this way' after voting against lifting the cap in a ballot on the King's Speech last summer. She said the Tories were now the only party 'standing up for taxpayers and for common sense in this matter', echoing comments made by party leader Kemi Badenoch in this newspaper yesterday. The benefit cap limits means-tested benefits like universal credit and child tax credit payments to the first two children, costing families a typical £3,455 in lost benefits for each additional child. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated the two-child cap costs affected families an average of £4,300 each. Figures, produced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), show that more than 450,000 families were affected by the cap last year. Around three-fifths (280,000) had three children, while a quarter (120,000) had four children and 56,000 had five or more. The DWP does not provide a breakdown of payments to the biggest families. But separate figures held by HM Revenue and Customs show that child benefit, which is not subject to the cap, was paid to more than 16,000 families with six children, more than 5,000 with seven children and even to 15 families with 13 children or more. Of the 450,000 families affected in total, around three-fifths include at least one adult who is in some form of work. This leaves around 180,000 where no one in the household is in any kind of paid work. The figures will fuel the growing political debate over whether to soften the impact of the cap or ditch it altogether. They come a day after Mrs Badenoch accused Labour and Reform of engaging in a 'race to the bottom' over welfare. The Tory leader said it was wrong to ask taxpayers, 'many of whom are struggling to raise their own children or choosing not to have them in the first place, to fund unlimited child support for others'. She added: 'Welfare traps people, builds dependency and it drives up costs for everyone.' Opinion polls show consistent public support for the cap. But the Conservatives are now the only major party defending the policy. Dozens of Labour MPs are pushing for the cap to be scrapped as part of a review into tackling child poverty, which has now been delayed until the autumn. One minister told the Mail there was a 'widespread feeling at all levels of the party that it is wrong to be penalising children in this way'. Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing a wider Labour revolt on welfare, confirmed this week that the Government is looking at 'all options' to tackle child poverty, including ending the cap. Other, cheaper options being considered by ministers include raising the cap to the first three children or removing it for all children until the age of five. Gordon Brown is urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to consider new taxes on gambling and the banks to fund the removal of the 'cruel' cap. Mr Farage raised eyebrows this week when he announced that a Reform-led government would ditch the cap completely. The Reform leader – who is targeting disaffected Labour voters – said his party backed the move 'not because we support a benefits culture' but in order to help families struggling to make ends meet. The cap applies to third and additional children born after April 2017 when the policy was introduced. As a result, the number of affected families is increasing every year. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said it was eventually likely to affect 800,000 families.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Fears ‘weak' Starmer will allow EU migrants to bring FAMILIES into UK on youth visas after Brexit betrayal
BRUSSELS will push Sir Keir Starmer into accepting fresh demands on the proposed youth mobility scheme, critics fear. Eurocrats are calling for relatives to be allowed to travel here with under-35s from EU countries eligible to work, study and live in the UK. 4 4 Concerns are being raised the PM could cave in on the issue after he was ambushed for a 12-year demand over fishing rights. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: 'The stench of weakness from Keir Starmer has been seized upon by Brussels and it's no surprised they have come back for more concessions.' Ex-Cabinet Minister Esther McVey said the deal would be bad for the job prospects of young Brits in this country. She said: 'Starmer's surrender deal will be bad for young Brits Under Labour UK youth unemployment is up to 14.2% & job vacancies are down - across Europe, Spain, France, Portugal etc it's worse 'His youth mobility scheme will push Europe's young unemployed here.' Downing Street hit back at calls for relatives to come here — saying it would be a red line as part of any talks outlining they would not be allowed access to benefits. A spokesman said any scheme would have to mirror similar ones already set up with 30 countries, including Australia, but are capped and time limited. Labour MP Jo White said any such scheme must benefit all Brits rather than just being for 'middle class kids on their gap year'. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of Brits see the new pact with the EU signed on Monday by the PM as being good for the country while 26 per cent see it as bad. Half of Labour voters have a positive view of the deal, which falls to 14 per cent for Tory supporters but only five per cent of Reform UK voters. 'Sell-out' Starmer has betrayed Brexit – he should follow in Trump's footsteps instead 4 4
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Youth mobility scheme shouldn't only benefit ‘middle class kids'
A youth mobility scheme with the European Union must benefit all young people, not just 'middle class kids on their gap year', a Labour MP has said. Sir Keir Starmer had told the Commons the newly-agreed 'youth experience scheme' will allow young British people to travel and work in Europe. Prior to the announcement of the deal, the Government faced pressure from its backbench MPs to agree a scheme with Brussels which would benefit those under 30. In the Commons, Jo White urged the Prime Minister to ensure all young people could benefit from the experiences of living abroad. Meanwhile, Conservative former minister Esther McVey argued the scheme was 'a bitter betrayal of British youth', as she called for a cap on the numbers, to specifically protect 'white working class boys'. The Prime Minister faced further criticism from the Tories with Conservative former minister Mark Francois arguing dynamic alignment is 'the most pernicious part of this deal'. In a statement on the UK-EU summit, the Prime Minister said the Government should be 'proud' to give young people the opportunity of a 'controlled youth experience scheme'. 'It delivers for our young people, because we are now on a path towards a controlled youth experience scheme with firm caps on numbers and visa controls. A relationship we have with so many countries around the world, some actually even set up by the party opposite,' he added. Ms White, MP for Bassetlaw, said: 'What I want to know is how young people in my area will benefit from it, opening up to experiences and opportunities that they would have never otherwise dreamed of? 'This is a scheme that must not just benefit middle class kids on their gap year.' Sir Keir replied: 'I completely agree with her wholeheartedly, this has to benefit all of our young people, and we'll make sure that it does, whether that's work or travel or study, because it is a really important opportunity for young people that we would want to provide to them and to help them then to take advantage of.' Earlier in the session, Ms McVey, MP for Tatton, said: 'With youth unemployment higher in Europe, in countries like France, Spain, Portugal and Sweden, I can see why the EU pushed for a youth mobility scheme to help get their youth unemployment figures down. 'So can the Prime Minister tell the House what impact assessment he has done on his youth scheme for youth unemployment for young Brits, particularly white working class boys who suffer the most, and can he tell the House today the cap he has put on numbers for people coming into the UK? If he can't, this is a bitter betrayal of British youth.' Sir Keir replied: 'This provides young people in the United Kingdom the opportunity to work, to study and to travel in Europe. It is going to be a capped scheme of limited duration and with visas, something, again, everybody said we couldn't negotiate. We have negotiated.' Green Party MP Ellie Chown (Herefordshire) accused the Prime Minister of being 'timid' on the youth mobility scheme. In his response, he said: 'What we have now negotiated is a scheme that does not cross our red lines, but it's good for young people, both here and in Europe.' Elsewhere in the session, Mr Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, claimed the UK will become an 'automatic rule-taker' as a result of the deal with the EU. He said: 'The most pernicious part of this deal is dynamic alignment, by which we become an automatic rule-taker from the European Union. 'Labour have been briefing journalists we have an opt-out from that. I've read the document in detail – we don't – and besides, the ECJ (European Court of Justice) is the ultimate arbiter in a dispute. It is so the EU will always win. 'Why, Prime Minister, when the British people voted peacefully and democratically to leave the European Union, have you surrendered that right and made us a rule-taker to the EU once again?' Sir Keir said he had 'forgotten about some of the nonsense that's spouted' and added: 'On the question of how the rules are made – they will go through a parliamentary process in this House.' Labour backbenchers shouted 'shut up' as Mr Francois said 'subject to the ECJ' from his seat. The Prime Minister continued: 'Every trade deal has an arbitration clause to deal with the settlement of disputes. All trade deals have that, including all the trade deals that they have negotiated. 'On the question of the ECJ, if there's an issue of European law that needs to be referred by the independent arbitrators to the court, they then give a ruling on the interpretation, it passes back to the arbitrators to make the final decision.' Sir Bernard Jenkin, Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, said the Prime Minister is 'giving up control over our laws and restoring payments to the European Union. He will pay a bitter political price for this betrayal'. Sir Keir replied: 'We were told it was impossible to negotiate a better deal with the EU with those red lines, we've just done it. We have also shown that we are outside the EU because, he will appreciate, that having a deal with India and the US is inconsistent with membership of the EU. 'There could be no better evidence that we're not going back into the EU, nor are these negotiations on that basis.'
Western Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Youth mobility scheme shouldn't only benefit ‘middle class kids'
Sir Keir Starmer had told the Commons the newly-agreed 'youth experience scheme' will allow young British people to travel and work in Europe. Prior to the announcement of the deal, the Government faced pressure from its backbench MPs to agree a scheme with Brussels which would benefit those under 30. In the Commons, Jo White urged the Prime Minister to ensure all young people could benefit from the experiences of living abroad. Meanwhile, Conservative former minister Esther McVey argued the scheme was 'a bitter betrayal of British youth', as she called for a cap on the numbers, to specifically protect 'white working class boys'. The Prime Minister faced further criticism from the Tories with Conservative former minister Mark Francois arguing dynamic alignment is 'the most pernicious part of this deal'. In a statement on the UK-EU summit, the Prime Minister said the Government should be 'proud' to give young people the opportunity of a 'controlled youth experience scheme'. 'It delivers for our young people, because we are now on a path towards a controlled youth experience scheme with firm caps on numbers and visa controls. A relationship we have with so many countries around the world, some actually even set up by the party opposite,' he added. Ms White, MP for Bassetlaw, said: 'What I want to know is how young people in my area will benefit from it, opening up to experiences and opportunities that they would have never otherwise dreamed of? 'This is a scheme that must not just benefit middle class kids on their gap year.' Conservative former minister Esther McVey criticised the scheme (Jacob King/PA) Sir Keir replied: 'I completely agree with her wholeheartedly, this has to benefit all of our young people, and we'll make sure that it does, whether that's work or travel or study, because it is a really important opportunity for young people that we would want to provide to them and to help them then to take advantage of.' Earlier in the session, Ms McVey, MP for Tatton, said: 'With youth unemployment higher in Europe, in countries like France, Spain, Portugal and Sweden, I can see why the EU pushed for a youth mobility scheme to help get their youth unemployment figures down. 'So can the Prime Minister tell the House what impact assessment he has done on his youth scheme for youth unemployment for young Brits, particularly white working class boys who suffer the most, and can he tell the House today the cap he has put on numbers for people coming into the UK? If he can't, this is a bitter betrayal of British youth.' Sir Keir replied: 'This provides young people in the United Kingdom the opportunity to work, to study and to travel in Europe. It is going to be a capped scheme of limited duration and with visas, something, again, everybody said we couldn't negotiate. We have negotiated.' Green Party MP Ellie Chown (Herefordshire) accused the Prime Minister of being 'timid' on the youth mobility scheme. In his response, he said: 'What we have now negotiated is a scheme that does not cross our red lines, but it's good for young people, both here and in Europe.' Conservative former minister Mark Francois (Lucy North/PA) Elsewhere in the session, Mr Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, claimed the UK will become an 'automatic rule-taker' as a result of the deal with the EU. He said: 'The most pernicious part of this deal is dynamic alignment, by which we become an automatic rule-taker from the European Union. 'Labour have been briefing journalists we have an opt-out from that. I've read the document in detail – we don't – and besides, the ECJ (European Court of Justice) is the ultimate arbiter in a dispute. It is so the EU will always win. 'Why, Prime Minister, when the British people voted peacefully and democratically to leave the European Union, have you surrendered that right and made us a rule-taker to the EU once again?' Sir Keir said he had 'forgotten about some of the nonsense that's spouted' and added: 'On the question of how the rules are made – they will go through a parliamentary process in this House.' Labour backbenchers shouted 'shut up' as Mr Francois said 'subject to the ECJ' from his seat. The Prime Minister continued: 'Every trade deal has an arbitration clause to deal with the settlement of disputes. All trade deals have that, including all the trade deals that they have negotiated. 'On the question of the ECJ, if there's an issue of European law that needs to be referred by the independent arbitrators to the court, they then give a ruling on the interpretation, it passes back to the arbitrators to make the final decision.' Sir Bernard Jenkin, Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, said the Prime Minister is 'giving up control over our laws and restoring payments to the European Union. He will pay a bitter political price for this betrayal'. Sir Keir replied: 'We were told it was impossible to negotiate a better deal with the EU with those red lines, we've just done it. We have also shown that we are outside the EU because, he will appreciate, that having a deal with India and the US is inconsistent with membership of the EU. 'There could be no better evidence that we're not going back into the EU, nor are these negotiations on that basis.'
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cheshire and Warrington: Devolution consultation to close
A consultation on plans for devolution for Cheshire and Warrington is to government had asked for views from people who live and work in the area on plans for a new combined authority with a directly elected the plans, the three councils would remain separate local authorities but would work together on areas including transport, skills, housing, the environment and consultation closes at 11:59pm on 13 April. The government announced in February that Cheshire and Warrington would be included in its devolution priority programme, for a fast-tracked devolution of the area's three councils have already submitted their responses to the East Council said devolution was a "real opportunity" to build on its "strong and productive relationships" with the other two Council said it believed the area stood to "gain more powers, more funding and more opportunities from devolution".Cheshire West and Chester Council has been approached for a local MP said she had opposed the Conservative MP Esther McVey said she had concerns that a new combined authority would focus on larger towns like Crewe and Warrington and said she would want to see the process paused and consultation period extended. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
