Kinnock defends welfare rethink as ‘positive process’

ODN

Care minister Stephen Kinnock has welcomed concessions to the government’s welfare bill, calling it a “positive and constructive process” that balances reform with protecting claimants. He said that the public would understand that "we don't get everything right from day one" insisting debate is normal for complex reforms. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00I think it's been a really positive and constructive process where we've been

00:03absolutely focused on the need to reform our broken Tory social security system

00:10but colleagues across the parliamentary Labour Party have stood up for their

00:14constituents and made a strong case thanks to those conversations we've now

00:19we're now bringing forward an improved package which is about protecting

00:24existing claimants on PIP and the health element of universal credit but also

00:29having a review that's going to be led by my colleague Stephen Timms the Minister

00:33for Disabilities he's going to co-produce that review with people who have

00:38disabilities and that will bring forward the new reform system from November 2026

00:44this government was elected on the basis of a manifesto which had one word on the

00:48front cover the word was change we are absolutely going to move towards the

00:54problems that the Conservatives would constantly put into the too difficult

00:59box we will reform we will change everybody agrees that our social

01:03security system is broken you are you do have to then have discussions but in

01:08the end you've got to make the choices and and draw the line somewhere and that

01:12is what we will do I think if you talk to most people out there in the country

01:15they welcome the fact that politicians are able to put their hands up and say look

01:20we don't get everything right from day one every time and and that's what this

01:24government is doing we have a prime minister who will always put the country

01:27before party and we'll do what is right for the country that occasionally leads to

01:32some some changes along the way but what really matters is the results and the

01:37outcomes and what we will have through this package that we're announcing today is a

01:41reformed social security system that will be both a safety net for the people who

01:45need it but also a springboard for the people who can and should be getting back

01:49into work

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