Asked earlier if there would be a cut to the welfare bill before the next election, the chancellor said: ‘There will be a reduction in the benefits bill’John Healey is rowing back from his answer in an interview in the Today programme implying he wanted welfare spending to go down before the next general election. According to Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, Treasury sources are saying his words have been over-interpreted.This relates to what Healey said in an interview with Nick Robinson for the Today programme. It was broadcast this morning, but recorded yesterday, and the BBC has written it up in a story on its website headlined: “Healey promises reduction in welfare bill before next election”.Robinson: Let’s take welfare if we could. £19bn up in the year ahead. That’s the entire police budget for England and Wales. That’s the entire annual defence equipment budget. And yet in your speech you said, well, we’ve got a couple of reports coming next month, then we’ll have a white paper, which in non-Westminster jargon means a consultation, then you’ll have some legislation, then you’ll have a row in the Labour party. You’re not going to make any of these cuts before the next election, are you?Healey: Well first, I’ve said clearly, the prime minister said as well, we have to bring the benefits bill down. You don’t do that by crude cuts, especially when people are feeling the cost of living pressures. We do have a big report, two big reports being produced next month, that will help us map out the way that we need to change the system for the long run. We are in fact reducing and have been over the last two years the rate of increase in the welfare bill compared to the previous period – I’m afraid to say – of a broken system the Conservatives put in place. We’re bringing back and have brought back face to face assessments which they axed for instance. We’ve been changing universal credits so people aren’t branding themselves as too sick to work in order to make that system work better.There will be. [Direct answer to Robinson’s question.] There will be a reduction in the benefits bill [etc etc – Healey expanding on the answer.]There will be, there will be a reduction in the benefits bill [Healey simply repeating three words as he launches into more general answer, not answering Robinson directly, but just explaining the government’s approach.] Continue reading...