Exclusive:
Britain must not be “squeamish” about reducing the welfare bill to fund additional spending on defence, Andy Burnham has said.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said that the government must “listen to” the concerns raised by John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary after accusing the prime minister of jeopardising the security of the nation.
In an interview with The Times he said that “the world has changed” and it is “obvious” that the government is going to have to adjust assumptions about defence spending in response.
He said that rather than implementing “crude cuts” to the welfare budget he favours a “preventative” approach that will provide the support people need to get back into work.
He unveiled plans for a 10-year public investment plan which will require all government procurement to include commitments to spending on apprenticeships and work placements for young people.
“I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all.
"But it is not the traditional Westminster way of just crude cuts, short-term crude cuts that then create a backlash and create more political turbulence.
"It is actually going to do things that will actually reduce the benefits bill, which is moving towards a more preventative state that makes the right investments to support people into work.”
thetimes.com/article/1f3d91c…