UK politics live: Minister says some benefit claimants ‘stealing from the state’ as Labour unveils crackdown

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has said the government’s plans to get more people back to work and improve employment support “has the potential to make a real difference for employers, employees and local economies.”

Jane Gratton, deputy director of public policy at the BCC said: “Bringing more people back into the workforce is essential to tackle skills shortages and boost economic growth. Government and business need to work together to remove barriers for people who want to work.

“Today’s White Paper – with its emphasis on improving access to health, skills and employment support – has the potential to make a real difference for employers, employees and local economies.

“Our research shows only 1 in 10 SMEs are using Job Centres and this is a lost opportunity. It’s crucial to modernise the service to better connect businesses and job seekers.

“The high number of working age people who are economically inactive though ill health is a particular concern for employers. We look forward to engaging with the review into how employers can be supported to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. Tax reforms would make it easier for employers to take a proactive role.

“Healthy staff make healthy businesses, but delivery is key. It is important changes are made quickly and effectively, to help firms develop thriving workforces in the years to come.”

Labour’s new plan comes at a time when a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness – seven per cent of the working population. Many experts attribute this to the combined effects of long-term NHS spending cuts and the Covid pandemic.

To address this, the government has pledged that extra NHS capacity will be deployed to 20 areas across England where levels of economic inactivity are highest.

The paper also takes the opportunity to restate Labour’s manifesto pledges for the NHS. It highlights the plans to provide an extra £22.6 billion in 2025/26 to support the delivery of 40,000 additional appointments, lower waiting times and 8,500 mental health staff.

Alongside this, the government will invest £125 million in eight areas across England and Wales to improve local work, health and skills support. These will be: West Yorkshire, the North East, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, plus two areas in London and one in Wales.

Watch live as the Foreign Office is questioned on the UK’s efforts to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and assistance with the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.

Ministers are likely to be asked what diplomatic steps they are taking with international counterparts to help secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and what they are doing to help improve the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.

A former Lord Chief Justice has said that “no-one has grappled with the detail” of the impact that assisted dying legislation could have on the court system.

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who held the role in England and Wales between 2013 and 2017, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme “the process and the impact on the court system is really something about which there should be information before we decide in principle to proceed” with the plans.

MPs will vote on the proposed legislation on Friday following a debate in the House of Commons.

According to the plans laid out earlier this month, the legislation will mean that the process of assisted dying must involve two independent doctors being satisfied that the person is eligible. A person must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months.

Further to this, a High Court judge must hear from at least one of the doctors regarding the application, and can also ask questions of the person who is dying as well as anybody else they consider to be appropriate.

Lord Thomas told the BBC programme on Tuesday: “It seems to me that the one really difficult question that hasn’t been addressed in this is how is the judge to proceed, as it cannot possibly be a rubber-stamping exercise.

“There has to be a process, by which the evidence is put before the judge, and the judge will need help - will need either the official solicitor or some other body that can bring the evidence before him.”

He added: “What is not possible is to assess from the Bill the impact this has.”

The judicial process is an “integral part of the process, in working out precisely how it’s to be done”, Lord Thomas said.

“As far as I can see, no-one has grappled with the detail. And of course, as it’s an integral part of the Bill, you can’t say, ‘well, look, this is to be sorted out later’. It seems to me it needs to be grappled with now.”

Sir Ed Davey challenged Sir Keir Starmer to a “1v1” FIFA match in a bizarre TikTok dancing video filmed outside the Houses of Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats leader posted a series of videos asking the prime minister to face him.

The first clip was captioned that it would be for charity.

In a third video, Sir Ed danced next to images of Mr Bean and Shrek.

It received mixed reactions on social media, with one viewer commenting: “Currently in one of the darkest economic and social periods of British history and this is what politicians are doing.”

The Independent has reached out to the Liberal Democrats for comment.

As part of their new plan, Labour says the Jobcentre system will be “transformed” into the new national jobs and careers service, pledging £55 million of investment.

This means that 600 Jobcentre Plus locations will be merged with the existing national careers service to create a more centralised public service.

It will be radically different to how Jobcentres work at the moment, the paper promises. Instead of focusing on just monitoring and managing benefit claims, there will be a renewed focus on skills and careers.

This will be supported by a trial of the latest technologies to support DWP workers. Labour says AI will free up work coach time to “provide up-to date information” on jobs, skills and other support.

This will give them the flexibility to offer a more personalised service to jobseekers, bringing an end to “tick box culture.”

The trial will also look at how the DWP can bring services like CV advice and job adverts online, and make them easier to access.

Sir Keir Starmer chaired Cabinet at Downing Street this morning, with a number of familiar faces turning up to No 10, including deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall.

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out calling a general election after a petition calling for another vote was signed by more than two million people.

“I would like there to be another general election,” the petition reads.

“I believe the current Labour government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead-up to the last election.”

Asked about the petition on ITV’s This Morning programme on Monday, Sir Keir dismissed calls for an election by saying that it is “not how our system works”.

The petition comes amid growing backlash over Labour’s budget, which has sparked controversy for hikes to national insurance and extension of inheritance tax to include farms, among other unpopular proposals which aim to fill the spending black hole.

Among the famous faces to have shared the petition are billionaire Trump-ally Elon Musk, who has repeatedly criticised Sir Keir since he came to power, and British actor Michael Caine.

Employment minister Alison McGovern has said that it is a “good thing” that people are “able to be more open about mental health” at work and that blaming people for their mental health conditions is not “the right approach”.

She told Times Radio: “I think that it’s a good thing that people are able to be more open about mental health conditions in work, and that we understand more about how people’s mental ill health can affect them in work.

“I don’t think having a go at people and blaming them is the right approach.”

She said that she thinks there should be “a culture where we understand people’s mental health challenges and think about the things that we can do to improve our mental health” at work such as good management and flexibility when somebody experiences a personal life event.

“Those are the things that can help tackle mental ill health, and then we will be able to improve our productivity, which will be good for individuals and good for the economy,” she said.

Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised for failing to hit back at Elon Musk’s persistent attacks on the UK government.

The owner of X, previously Twitter, has described Sir Keir’s administration of going “full Stalin” over inheritance tax proposals for farmers.

He was also outspoken during the summer riots and shared the right-wing “two-tier” policing conspiracy theory.

Carla Denyer MP, co-leader of the Green Party, told HuffPost UK it was a “no brainer” and in the UK’s interests for the prime minister to respond to Mr Musk.

She said: “Elon Musk’s ramblings are getting more outlandish and alarming by the day.

“And he will no doubt be demanding his reward for helping Trump back into the White House.

“The lack of criticism from the UK government over both Trump’s and Musk’s recent comments suggest Starmer may be hedging his bets on which way to turn - across the pond to the White House, or over the channel to Brussels.

“This should be a no-brainer.

“Our economic interests, our core values and ethics, not to mention our joint commitment to tackle the climate and nature crises, mean we must distance ourself from the Trump-Musk axis and strengthen our relationship with our European partners.”