The cry goes up from pundits and politicians who have never been anywhere near the daily grind of a life on benefits that the £333bn annual welfare bill is unsustainable. And despite their tin ear, they are probably right. But the cost is not the place to find the cure: it’s the causes of the bill we have to dig into.
Under its new leader it looks like Labour is going to have a second go at cutting the cost of welfare. But before it jumps in with its spreadsheet and clipboard it should learn the lessons of why so many in the Parliamentary Labour Party found that stance literally revolting last time it tried, and blocked the move. Keir Starmer did many things wrong on his two-year walk to the exit door, but this was probably the biggest mistake. If he couldn’t get his own reforms through with a 170-seat majority then what was the point of him? Andy Burnham beware.
The issue isn’t the tactical concern of how to placate the left of the party. It’s getting the policy, framing, intention and long-term purpose right. If Burnham and his Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden get the latter sorted, then the former will fall into place. So how can that be done?
First, don’t start from a Treasury mindset of saving the most money. Cuts lead to more hardship, not more employment, and so in the long run save nothing.
