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Sir Keir Starmer has declared Britain “simply isn’t working” as he unveiled plans to bring more people into work and slash the country’s spiralling benefits bill.
The prime minister is planning to replace the network of Jobcentres with a new National Jobs and Careers Service, while more NHS staff will be sent to areas with higher rates of joblessness.
Young people will be offered additional employment and training opportunities, including with the Premier League, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Channel Four, while extra powers will be handed to mayors to develop their own employment plans.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will announce the plans on Tuesday as part of wide-ranging reforms designed to tackle economic inactivity and deliver the Government’s promise to bring more than two million people back into work.
She said: “To get Britain growing, we need to get Britain working again. Our reforms will break down barriers to opportunity, help people to get into work and on at work, allow local leaders to boost jobs and growth, and give our children and young people the best opportunities to get on in life.
Minister declines to say how much will be cut from welfare bill
Employment minister Alison McGovern declined to put a figure on how much the government will reduce the welfare bill by.
Speaking to Times Radio on Tuesday morning, she said that “I’m not going to put a figure on it”.
She added: “Today we’re publishing the framework for reforms in this White Paper, we now need to do a lot of work to bring forward those reforms.”
Joe Middleton26 November 2024 08:30
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live politics coverage for Tuesday November 26.
Keir Starmer has declared Britain “simply isn’t working” as he unveiled plans to bring more people into work and slash the country’s spiralling benefits bill.
The prime minister is planning to replace the network of Jobcentres with a new National Jobs and Careers Service, while more NHS staff will be sent to areas with higher rates of joblessness.
Young people will be offered additional employment and training opportunities, including with the Premier League, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Channel Four, while extra powers will be handed to mayors to develop their own employment plans.
The reforms, to be unveiled by work and pensions sectretary Liz Kendall today, will also see an expansion of mental health support and efforts to tackle obesity.
You can read our full story on what measures are set to be announced here:
Tom Barnes26 November 2024 07:59