Rishi Sunak pledges to remove benefits for people not taking jobs after 12 months
People who are fit to work but do not accept job offers will have their benefits taken away after 12 months, the prime minister has pledged.
Outlining his plans to reform the welfare system if the Conservatives win the next general election, Rishi Sunak said “unemployment support should be a safety net, never a choice” as he promised to “make sure that hard work is always rewarded”.
Politics live: ‘Moral mission’ to end ‘sicknote culture’, says Sunak
Mr Sunak said his government would be “more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life” by introducing a raft of measures in the next parliament. They include:
• Removing benefits after 12 months for those deemed fit for work but who do not comply with conditions set by their work coach – such as accepting a job offer
• Tightening the work capability assessment so those with less severe conditions will be expected to seek employment
• A review of the fit note system to focus on what someone can do, to be carried out by independent assessors rather than GPs
• Changes to the rules so someone working less than half of a full-time week will have to look for more work
• A consultation on PIP to look at eligibility changes and targeted support – such as offering talking therapies instead of cash payments
• The introduction of a new fraud bill to treat benefit fraud like tax fraud, with new powers to make seizures and arrests.
He insisted the changes were not about making the benefits system “less generous”, adding: “I’m not prepared to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.
“Instead, the critical questions are about eligibility, about who should be entitled to support and what kind of supports best matches their needs.”
But Labour said it was the Tories’ handling of the NHS that had left people “locked out” of work, and a disabled charity called the measures “dangerous”.
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The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows 9.4 million people aged between 16 and 64 were “economically inactive”, with over 2.8 million citing long-term sickness as the reason.
Mr Sunak said 850,000 of them had been signed off since the COVID pandemic and half of those on long-term sickness said they had depression, with the biggest growth area being young people.
He also claimed the total being spent on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition had increased by almost two-thirds since the pandemic to £69bn – more than the entire budget for schools or policing.
“I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have,” said the prime minister. “Anyone who has suffered mental ill health or had family and friends who have know these conditions are real and they matter.
“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong to merely sit back and accept it because it’s too hard, too controversial, or for fear of causing offence.”
Rishi Sunak during his speech on welfare reform. Pic: PA
The prime minister said he knew critics would accuse him of “lacking compassion”, but he insisted “the exact opposite is true”, adding: “There is nothing compassionate about leaving a generation of young people to sit in the dark before a flickering screen, watching as their dreams slip further from reach every passing day.
“And there is nothing fair about expecting taxpayers to support those who could work but choose not to.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. We can change. We must change.”
But Labour said the “root cause of economic activity” was down to the Tories’ failure on the health service, with record NHS waiting lists hitting people’s ability to get back in the workplace.
Acting shadow work and pensions secretary Alison McGovern said: “After 14 years of Tory misery, Rishi Sunak has set out his failed government’s appalling record for Britain: a record number of people locked out of work due to long-term sickness and an unsustainable spiralling benefits bill.
“Rather than a proper plan to get Britain working, all we heard today were sweeping questions and reheated proposals without any concrete answers.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called it “a desperate speech from a prime minister mired in sleaze and scandal”, adding: “Rishi Sunak is attempting to blame the British people for his own government’s failures on the economy and the NHS and it simply won’t wash.”
Meanwhile, disability charity Scope said the measures were a “full-on assault on disabled people”, adding they were “dangerous and risk leaving disabled people destitute”.
James Taylor, director of strategy at the charity, said calls were already “pouring in” to their helpline with people concerned about the impact on them, adding: “Sanctions and ending claims will only heap more misery on people at the sharp end of our cost of living crisis.”
Polls have closed in local elections taking place across England and Wales.
More than 2,600 council seats across 107 councils are up for grabs in England, alongside 11 mayoral elections, a parliamentary seat and police and crime commissioners throughout England and Wales.
Polls opened at 7am, and closed at 10pm, with counting now under way.
Local elections: Follow the results live
Sky News will be covering the results overnight with a special programme hosted by Jonathan Samuels beginning at midnight, and coverage into the weekend.
The results unfolding in the next hours and days will give an indicator of public opinion on the political parties as the UK heads towards a general election.
Labour is hoping to make gains across the country, while the Conservatives will hope to minimise losses as they sit around 20 points behind the opposition in the polls.
Keen attention will be paid to the mayoral races being held in the West Midlands and the Tees Valley – Red Wall seats that the Conservatives won under Boris Johnson with mayors Andy Street and Lord Ben Houchen respectively.
Losses there could prove difficult for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – with rumours that if both turn red it could spark a leadership contest.
Labour‘s Sadiq Khan is hoping to win a record third term as the mayor of London, running against the Conservative’s Susan Hall, with 25 seats on the London Assembly also up for grabs.
Read more on local elections:
What does victory and defeat look like – Beth Rigby
How key areas are predicted to vote – Sam Coates
There are further mayoral elections in the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the North East, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire. An election is also taking place for the Salford city mayor.
A parliamentary by-election is taking place in Blackpool South to replace the former Conservative MP Scott Benton, who left parliament following a lobbying scandal.
The Tories are defending a majority of 3,690 – much smaller than several of those overturned by Labour in recent years.
In total, 37 police and crime commissioners are being elected across England and Wales – although two of those PCC roles are being absorbed into a mayor’s responsibilities, in South Yorkshire and York & North Yorkshire.
Speaking on the Political Currency podcast, former Conservative chancellor George Osborne said losing the West Midlands would be “pretty bad” for Mr Sunak, while losing the Tees Valley would be “armageddon”.
“There will be people in the Conservative Parliamentary Party saying, ‘Change course, change leader’,” he said, adding: “You would never have guessed 20 years ago that the future of the Tory leadership would depend on how people are voting in Teesside. But I think right now, that is the case.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The last time these council elections took place, the then prime minister Boris Johnson was riding high in the polls following the success of the vaccine rollout – taking his party to their best performance in the locals since 2008.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said it was going to be “difficult to achieve on that”.
Asked if this was an admission the party is less popular under Mr Sunak than it was under Mr Johnson, Mr Harper said it was the context of having a “vaccine bounce” and coming out of the pandemic that made the party popular in 2021.
And Mr Sunak was at the time “the chancellor, who found the money to pay for rolling the vaccine out”.
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Local elections: Why they matter
In last year’s local elections – which were for different areas – Labour snatched key battlegrounds from the Conservatives but not at a rate high enough to indicate the opposition was on course to win if a general election took place.
This key metric, known as National Equivalent Vote (NEV), will be tracked over the weekend by Sky News election analyst Professor Michael Thrasher.
Asked what success would look like, Labour’s shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said his party is looking at the Blackpool South by-election “which is the only result where Rishi Sunak and the government are really on the ballot paper”.
A win there will show “real progress”, Mr McFadden said.
Asked about his party’s prospects in Tees Valley and the West Midlands, the veteran Labour MP said the Tories hanging on would “only be because they put as much distance as possible between themselves and Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party brand”.
How many seats/councils are parties defending?
The Conservatives are defending 985 seats, Labour 965 and the Liberal Democrats 410.
The Greens hold 107 seats, while independents have 112 and other parties the remaining 57.
Labour currently has majority control in 45 of the 107 councils. The Conservatives control 18 and the Lib Dems 10.
Just under a third, 34 councils, are under no overall control.
Key battlegrounds
After a survey of 9,000 people, this is how YouGov thinks these key votes will go
When it comes to councils, areas to watch out for include Hyndburn, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Tamworth, Reigate and Banstead, Hull, Walsall, Colchester, Stockport, Sheffield, Solihull, North East Lincolnshire, Lincoln, Peterborough, Rugby and Thurrock.
Sky News and YouGov asked around 9,000 people how they intend to vote, and used this to forecast how these will change.
Labour looks set to make a number of gains – although some races are too close to call.
Follow our live coverage of the election results from midnight – find the full details here
Take That say they are moving their shows in May from the new Co-op Live venue to a different Manchester arena.
The pop group wrote on X: “Given the ongoing technical issues around the opening of Co-op Live we have taken the difficult decision to move our May shows to the AO Arena.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we wanted to give our fans as much notice as possible.”
All of their May shows have been transferred and are on the same dates as before except for 8 May which has been moved to 9 May.
Two planned shows at the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live in June were unaffected, the band said.
On Thursday, British rock group Keane, who were due to play there on Sunday, said they were “absolutely gutted” to cancel the gig because of “ongoing technical issues beyond our control. We are doing all we can to reschedule the show.”
The Co-op Live arena in Manchester. Pic: PA
The £365m music venue, which has postponed its opening numerous times, said it will be taking “a short pause to events” before welcoming members of the public to the arena from 14 May.
In a statement, Co-op Live put the latest delay down to an issue with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
The pause would, it said, “fully ensure the safety and security of fans and artists” and allow for an “independent inspection of all elements of the arena ceiling”.
“At this time, we do not expect further impact on our opening season. We are aware our actions have frustrated and angered ticket holders.”
It comes after the UK’s biggest indoor arena was hit by problems before it had even opened – with scheduled gigs, including performances this Friday and Saturday by US singer Olivia Rodrigo – cancelled at short notice.
The three-time Grammy-winner said in an Instagram story she was upset at the cancellations, adding: “We’re doing our best to reschedule the show.”
US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was scheduled to perform there on Wednesday, before cancelling with fans already starting to gather outside, leaving many furious.
He said on X on Thursday his show had also been moved to the AO Arena on Saturday. He said: “We won’t give up that easy let’s go!”
It is understood a nozzle from the ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling shortly before he was due on stage.
No one was injured but the venue management decided to cancel the Bronx rapper’s show.
The main contractor for the arena, the construction firm BAM said: “Unfortunately, in the run-up to last night’s concert, an issue arose that meant the difficult decision was made to cancel the event.
“We apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused for many. Our team continues to work diligently on completing works to the arena.”
Tim Leiweke, chairman and chief executive of US-based venue operator, Oak View Group (OVG), said: “We could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so. I deeply apologise for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”
The Co-op Group, which has reportedly paid up to £100m in a 15-year deal to have its name on the ill-fated arena, said it will seek a “full explanation” from OVG.
On Friday, Peter Kay, who was scheduled to be the first performer at the venue, said he had been forced to postpone his two shows for a second time.
Peter Kay. File pic: PA
The comedian was originally due to perform on 23 and 24 April, but the gigs, which were first pushed back to 29 and 30 April – have since been delayed until 23 and 24 May.
The first gigs had to be postponed with less than 48 hours’ notice following a test event.
The Eagles, Janet Jackson and Eric Clapton are due to play the arena, but so far only a test event by Rick Astley has gone ahead.
UK
Hainault samurai sword incident: Man charged with murder of Daniel Anjorin, 14, in sword attack appears in court
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who was killed during a sword attack in London.
Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, a Spanish-Brazilian national from Newham, east London, was also charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary, and possession of a bladed article, the police announced on Wednesday.
Four people were injured, including two Metropolitan Police officers, in Hainault in northeast London on Tuesday.
Monzo, 36, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today and was remanded in custody this morning.
Wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, he spoke only to confirm his name in the dock.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldpsring remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday if a hearing is not available on Friday.
Daniel Anjorin was a pupil at Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green – the same school attended by Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.
Daniel Anjorin. Pic: Met Police
Floral tributes in Hainault, northeast London, where 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin was killed in a sword attack on Tuesday. Pic: PA
Staff and pupils at the school said that Daniel’s sudden death had left them in “profound shock and sorrow”.
Daniel’s family told Sky News he was “a wonderful child” who was “well loved” and “hard-working” – and that his death “leaves a gaping wound in the family”.
They added: “No family should have to go through what we are experiencing.
“Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
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Attempted murder arrest after three injured
Infected blood compensation ‘to be extended’
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “Our thoughts remain firmly with the family of Daniel and all those who have been impacted by this horrific incident.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
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