By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-08-28 06:51:41 | Updated at 2026-09-05 04:29:41
1 week ago
Long-awaited reform of the welfare system in Britain might be delayed until next year, as Andy Burnham can only tackle "one big issue at a time".
The Prime Minister is not expected to implement any changes to benefits in the upcoming Autumn Budget, and will instead wait until the new year, according to the Telegraph.
A senior Government source told the newspaper that Mr Burnham could sort only “one big issue at a time”, and that his immediate focus was to fill a scorching £4.7bn black hole in the defence budget left by Sir Keir Starmer.
Recently appointed Chancellor John Healey will deliver the Budget on October 28 - described by the Prime Minister's team as a “defence budget”, rather than an attempt to fix the ballooning cost of benefits.
Two reviews of the welfare state were conducted by Sir Stephen Timms, the equalities minister, and Alan Milburn, the former New Labour cabinet minister - which No10 are still waiting on.
Mr Milburn’s review was intended to be published next month, but will now be delivered in October after Labour’s annual conference.
Ministers will then take time to respond to the reviews and consult on changes to benefits provision, before bringing forward plans that would take months to clear Parliament.
Before taking office last month, Mr Burnham said he was “concerned with getting the welfare bill down”, adding that it was “how you do it” that would be controversial in Westminster.
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John Healey says his 'first priority' as Chancellor is maintaining 'fiscal discipline'
John Healey has said his “first priority” as Chancellor is maintaining “fiscal discipline”.
Speaking ahead of his first Budget in October, Mr Healey told Sky News he and Andy Burnham were “in lockstep” on controlling Government spending and meeting the fiscal rules.
“We’ll keep control of Government spending, we’ll hit the fiscal rules, and that will be the bedrock for the Budget that I bring in in two months’ time,” he said.
When challenged that Mr Burnham had already announced several major policy projects during his first two months in office - all of which will need to be funded - Mr Healey insisted the Government would remain within its financial limits.
He added: “We’re both determined. We will stick within the fiscal rules, but we’re both behind this longer-term vision of giving the country a future direction, more hope.”
The Chancellor also rejected suggestions that he had changed his position on defence spending, two months after resigning from his previous role over concerns about a lack of funding.
Asked whether Mr Burnham’s Government genuinely represented a change for the country, Mr Healey described himself as part of a “continuity” government.
“This Labour Government has been a government of change for the last two years. We now step that up with Andy Burnham as leader. We’re a continuity of a Labour government with a change of leader.”
