Badenoch accuses Starmer of giving up on welfare reform

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer of giving up on welfare reform.

Sir Keir was forced into a U-turn on planned benefit reforms by his backbench Labour MPs in June last year, with measures to reform some personal independence payments (Pip) shelved .

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Badenoch asked why there was no welfare bill in this month's King's Speech and she claimed costs had risen by £20bn since Labour won the general election.

Official figures show there has been an increase of just under £20bn in the last two years, with half of that rise made up of a £10bn increase in the state pension.

The King's Speech sets out the government's planned agenda for proposed legislation for the upcoming parliamentary session, which usually lasts about a year.

Referring to the shadow leadership contest swirling around Sir Keir, following heavy election losses earlier this month, Badenoch said: "The reason why there is no welfare bill is because the prime minister has given up, and he's given up because they have given up on him."

The Conservative leader referred to messages from Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, released in the latest batch of the Mandelson files , which revealed some private messages between ministers and the disgraced former UK ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson.

Badenoch said: "The welfare secretary [McFadden] said in private what they won't dare say in public.