Burnham prepares for huge clash with Labour MPs on benefits | Politics | News
The Prime Minister has warned that the country must “get serious” about reducing its welfare bill, which is expected to reach around £323bn for the 2025-26 financial year.
In his first major interview since receiving the keys to No10, he said he could “increase the conditions for people to benefit from social benefits”.
He told the BBC he believed “there are people out there who can get into work with the right support”.
Mr Burnham added: “This is about changing the nature of support and making some of it contingent on people taking up the opportunities that are presented to them, so you can increase the conditions for getting benefits.”
He insisted he could not “directly blame” people on benefits, adding: “There are people on the benefits system, young people in their twenties, and it has let them down quite severely because the support wasn’t there when it should have been.”
A major Labor Party rebellion has erupted in the background over welfare cuts to disability and sickness benefits made by the government under Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Burnham also said he would not want to leave his post without bringing about “significant change” to the social care system.
Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Burnham said: “If we don’t do this the NHS will collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who don’t actually need to be part of the NHS system.”
But when asked if he would create a new system before the next election, he said he “can’t put a timeline on it right now” but would use “whatever political capital I have” to fix it.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester first proposed a universal social care system in England in 2009 when he was health secretary under Gordon Brown.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Burnham was also asked whether dog Axel would move into Number 10 Downing Street.
But Mr Burnham said his pup, who is part bichon frise, part poodle, would “stay up north” because he wouldn’t get along with Larry the Cat.
Mr Burnham said the “angry little man thing is going on”, referring to Axel.
He added: “I don’t think the nation will thank me if I take Axel down to disrupt Larry’s world. These are big decisions. “Big decisions have been made.”
