𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour has faced a day of Budget chaos after John Healey declared he planned to slash the benefits bill before the next election, only to wind back on the pledge within hours.

The Chancellor took to the airwaves on Thursday morning, announcing he would take an axe to the welfare state before aides denied that commitment had ever been made.

His boss, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, then slapped down the claim, stating that there was no “timetable” for any cuts.

Mr Burnham himself stuck his foot in his mouth earlier this week when he promised a referendum on rumours that he was ready to sign the country up to the EU Freedom of Movement scheme.

That same tactic was adopted again on Thursday as No 10 said that Mr Healey, despite saying he would bring down welfare costs this Parliament, had actually said no such thing.

An embarrassed Chancellor later told Channel 4 News it was “not correct to say we are going to bring the welfare bill down in this Parliament”.

Labour has come under repeated attack from its Conservative rivals after Kemi Badenoch labelled them the “welfare party”.

Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick has even taken to referring to the Prime Minister as “benefits Burnham” when speaking to the media.

Forecasts that accompanied the socialist tax-hiking Budget on Wednesday forecast that welfare claimants would be in for a £6billion windfall as welfare soars to more than £100billion a year by 2028/29.

Amid mounting fury he had not addressed that eye-watering cost, the Chancellor went out on the town on Wednesday night – and was filmed downing a pint of beer just hours after hiking the price of one by 2p a glass.

On Thursday morning he told BBC Radio 4 that he had “said clearly […] we have to bring the benefits bill down”, adding that he would not do that with “crude cuts”.

Furious Tories branded the day an “absolute farce” as Helen Whately, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “Healey and Burnham cannot help sticking their feet in their mouths.”

She added: “After months of promises, Labour have admitted that they are not going to cut the benefits bill in this Parliament.

“The Welfare Party’s backbenchers have finally won. The tough decisions have once again been kicked down the road.”