Starmer says cuts to disability benefits are because of moral case, not dire finances: UK politics live

Mike Amesbury has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves formally resigning as the MP for Runcorn & Helsby, after he was handed a suspended prison sentence for punching a man in the street.

Earlier today, Mr Amesbury said he apologised to the constituent he punched, telling GB News: “I’m so sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows, his family, my own family.”

He described reliving the moment as “like a living nightmare” and added: “I’m the one that got things wrong, so I own it.”

Nigel Farage’s unveiling of 29 new Reform UK councillors fell apart within less than an hour as it emerged just nine are new, with only three of those standing for election.

The Reform leader used a press conference at a swanky London hotel on Monday to unveil the slew of new councillors, claiming their defections proved “this party is very much on the up”.

But the lack of high-profile names and a slew of new defectors fed speculation that a steady stream of turncoats has largely dried up as a result of a bitter spat between Mr Farage and Rupert Lowe, the ousted ex-Reform MP.

The Conservatives said Mr Farage was seeking to distract from the open warfare engulfing Reform and hoodwink journalists. Tory officials pointed out that, while Mr Farage claimed all of the councillors had defected in the past two weeks, four had joined Reform a month or more before the press conference.

Read the full report from my colleagues Archie Mitchell and David Maddox here.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has told MPs that the government’s benefits reform proposals will be published “imminently” to ensure “trust and fairness in the social security system.”

Labour MP Chris Curtis raised concerns about the rising number of young people out of work due to mental health issues, saying: “I think this is a key factor behind the nearly 12 per cent increase in young people claiming unemployment benefits in Milton Keynes since 2024.”

Ms Kendall responded: “I really share (his) concern about the number of young people not in work due to mental health conditions,” highlighting a “more than 25%” rise in the last year and stressing the need for “early intervention” and a “youth guarantee.”

DUP MP Jim Shannon said he was “really really worried sick” about the impact of reforms on his constituents, adding: “There must be a system that protects those people, protects my constituents, protects the people that I represent in this house and the people that we all represent.”

Work and pensions minister Stephen Timms acknowledged concerns, saying: “We do want to see improvements in assessments,” and confirmed that a green paper on health and disability benefits reform would be published “shortly.”

Jonathan Brash, the MP for Hartlepool, added it is “imperative that those who are sick, vulnerable or disabled are always protected.

Mr Timms replied: “There will of course always be people unable to work through disability or ill health, and we are absolutely committed to fully supporting them, too.”

My colleague Archie Mitchell reports:

The UK’s welfare budget is forecast to rise sharply in the next few years, driven by higher spending on pensioners and an increase in the number of people receiving health and disability benefits.

But tomorrow, work and pension secretary Liz Kendall is expected to set out plans for welfare reform in an effort to get more people back to work and cut the cost of a benefits bill.

How much does the UK spend in total?

The government spent £296.3 billion on welfare in 2023/24, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). This is the equivalent of 10.9% of UK GDP.

The OBR forecasts total spending on welfare to reach £377.7 billion in 2029/30, or 11.1% of GDP.

Spending on disability benefits, which includes disability living allowance and personal independent payments, is forecast to rise from £36.3 billion in 2023/24 (accounting for 12% of the total welfare budget) to £59.4 billion in 2029/30 (16%).

Government expenditure on all health and disability benefits across all age groups, including pensioners, is forecast to rise from £67.4 billion in 2023/24 to £100.7 billion by 2029/30, a jump of 56%.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has touted the announcement of what she claimed would be “the biggest programme of policy renewal in a generation”.

Since being elected Tory leader in November, Ms Badenoch has faced criticism over a lack of clear policy, as her party faces a challenge on the right from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK following a bruising general election defeat in July.

Mike Amesbury has said that he is “devastated” to stand down as an MP today, telling GB News that “as from today I will no longer be the Member ofParliament for Runcorn and Helsby after nearly eight years as being an MP”.

The former Labour MP said last week he would quit the Commons after he was given a 10-week prison term for punching a constituent which was reduced to a suspended sentence following an appeal.

He said he was “sad” and “devastated”, adding: “Not only for me, but … my staff as well, because, course, it goes beyond me, for my family. This is a result of something that I did on October 26.”

Asked about the incident, Amesbury said “I should have walked away” and “I don’t recognise myself”, adding: “But it is me, and it’s very important that I’ve owned that through the legal process … a plea of guilty”

He continued: “I’ve paid a price, I’ve been punished and rightfully so, and I hope that I learn from this.”

Apologising to the constituent he punched, he said: “I’m so sincerely sorry to Mr Fellows, his family, my own family”, and described reliving the moment as “like a living nightmare”.

It is an unlikely transition, from Sir Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, but Reg Kain made the jump last week and was given a hero’s welcome at the party’s press conference on Monday.

At the time of his defection, he told the BBC that Reform was “the only mainstream party at this time that is genuinely listening to the concerns and needs of the British people”.

“I intend to be a moderate and constructive voice within Reform, helping to shape a party that truly represents the interests of ordinary people,” he added.

He was elected to Cheshire East Council in May 2023 and became the council’s first Reform UK member when he defected.

Nigel Farage has denied having “politically assassinated his enemies”, after MP Rupert Lowe was suspended over bullying allegations just days after he described the Reform UK leader as “messianic”.

Asked whether he was somebody who did this, Mr Farage said: “No. They normally do it to themselves.”

Mr Farage added that he had been “appalled” by some of the comments made about party chair Zia Yusuf.

He said “racism” and “abuse” had been taking place online and claimed that, if it had been directed towards any senior member of the Tories or Labour, then it would be a “major national story”.

Mr Farage was also asked about suggestions that billionaire X owner Elon Musk could be open to donating to another political party.

He replied: “Great, thank you.”

Nigel Farage has for decades been one of the UK’s best politicians when it comes to dealing with the media.

But a different side of the Reform UK leader was on show when he was asked about Rupert Lowe after his press conference on Monday.

Mr Farage was tetchy, snappy and at one point attempted to scarper off amid questions about his former MP.

He insisted discontent among Reform members was contained to the fringes of the party, and refused to mention Mr Lowe by name. He even repeatedly said “I’m bored” of being asked about the bitter spat which rocked the party this month.

Elsewhere in his post-conference huddle with journalists, he gave snappy one-word answers and even challenged a journalist to prove they had written an article they claimed to have.

It was a far cry from the charming Brexiteer who has long known how to put his best foot forwards when the cameras are rolling.