New ‘shadow chancellor’ vows to finish ‘financial and ethical catastrophe’ as he declares that Nigel Farage’s rebel get together is ‘for staff’
Robert Jenrick says Rachel Reeves has ‘unleashed chaos’
Robert Jenrick has vowed that Reform UK will “defuse the advantages bomb set to bankrupt Britain”, in his first speech since being named as Nigel Farage’s “shadow chancellor”. Dubbing the UK’s hovering welfare invoice an “financial and ethical catastrophe”, he pledged to cease foreigners receiving handouts and stop claimants getting money for “spurious” psychological well being causes.
Mr Jenrick additionally confirmed the get together had carried out a U-turn over plans to finish the two-child profit cap, and would retain present guidelines that limit the quantity of Common Credit score paid to bigger households. Labour is to scrap the cap, handing 570,000 households in Nice Britain a median of £5,400 every in additional profit funds. Mr Farage beforehand indicated Reform would both observe swimsuit or take away the cap for working households.
However in a speech in London’s monetary district, Mr Jenrick declared: “A Reform authorities will restore the cap in full. We’re the get together of alarm clock Britain – a celebration for staff and never welfare.”
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Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick maintain a press convention in London (Picture: Getty)
Labour branded the announcement “merciless” and highlighted predictions that ending the cap would imply 450,000 fewer kids in relative poverty.
It additionally appeared that Mr Farage had been reluctant to just accept the U-turn, as he instructed journalists after the speech: “My try at being pro-family has failed.”
Mr Jenrick refused to commit a Reform authorities to sustaining the pensions triple lock, saying an announcement on the state pension could be made at a later date, however dropped a heavy trace that the coverage or one thing very related will stay.
Questioned by the Specific, the previous Conservative cupboard minister mentioned: “We’re going to be saying extra about this within the coming days, however I’ve all the time been a supporter of the triple lock.
“It’s extremely vital that we offer dignity and safety to older individuals on mounted incomes within the final a long time of their life – significantly at a time like this, the place there are such difficult circumstances with the price of dwelling.
“So I don’t suppose your readers shall be disenchanted, however we’ll say extra within the coming weeks.”
Mr Jenrick was named as Reform’s “shadow chancellor” this week, alongside house affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, schooling spokesman Suella Braverman and enterprise spokesman Richard Tice, who would additionally function deputy prime minister in a Reform authorities.
The appointments are designed to finish a notion that Reform is a “one-man band”, as Mr Farage put it, and reveal the get together has the expertise required to run the nation.
In a prolonged speech, Mr Jenrick set out plans to cease “internet zero” insurance policies influencing financial choices, pressure UK employers to coach British employees quite than importing international staff, and “ruthlessly” crack down on scammers and shoplifters.
However the speech was additionally designed to reassure monetary markets by pledging {that a} Reform authorities would observe “strict fiscal guidelines” and introduce tax cuts solely when the nation can afford it.
Mr Jenrick dubbed Reform “reassuring revolutionaries” and promised no “wild spending splurges alongside massive tax cuts”.
He mentioned: “We’ll instil a fiscal self-discipline that has been sorely lacking, spending solely what we will afford and by no means saddling future generations with the invoice for our profligacy.”
The MP added: “I provide you with my phrase {that a} Reform authorities won’t ever play quick and unfastened along with your financial savings.”
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Plans to slash the welfare invoice embrace limiting advantages to UK nationals, and making certain individuals can solely declare illness advantages for psychological well being circumstances if they’ve a medical prognosis.
Mr Jenrick mentioned: “On present course, one in eight persons are set to say incapacity advantages in 4 years’ time – that’s virtually 9 million individuals.
“The quantity claiming incapacity advantages for an consideration dysfunction has greater than doubled since Covid. Everyone knows a big variety of these claims are spurious.
“And that we’re simply giving up on over half one million younger individuals, discarded as ‘unfit to work’. So our advantages system is damaged.”
He vowed: “We’ll cease these with delicate anxiousness, melancholy, and related circumstances from claiming incapacity advantages and as an alternative encourage them into the dignity of labor.
“We’ll reinstate in-person assessments and require scientific diagnoses to weed out those that are selecting a life on advantages.”
He added: “And we’ll be certain solely British nationals can declare advantages within the first place.”
Conservatives identified that Mr Farage and Mr Jenrick, who defected from the Tories in January, had beforehand been staunch critics of one another.
Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative Occasion, mentioned: “One week Nigel Farage says Robert Jenrick is a fraud, subsequent week he’s Reform’s financial guru. You can not belief a phrase he says.
“Reform’s financial coverage adjustments by the week. Simply two weeks in the past, Rob Jenrick voted to elevate the two-child profit cap. At this time, he claims he would reinstate it. They make even Keir Starmer look constant.”
He added: “Reform is a one-man band. The one view that counts is Nigel Farage’s, and he needs extra welfare.”
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley mentioned: “Robert Jenrick has united the Proper behind a merciless youngster poverty pact that will see almost half one million youngsters pushed into poverty.
“Farage’s get together is stuffed stuffed with former failed Tories who at the moment are hell-bent on persevering with their damaging legacy, with working individuals and their kids set to pay the worth.”
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