Welfare Reform

Debate between Nadia Whittome and John Glen

Monday 30th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

I think that the vast majority of people in this country believe in a welfare system that is compassionate to the vulnerable, and particularly to the disabled, but they can no longer understand why so many people here—in contrast to other similar countries—are in this situation where they are not working.

[Nadia Whittome (Nottingham East) (Lab)]

It’s because you were in power for 14 years.

[John Glen]

Yes, we were in power for 14 years, and during covid, when I was a Minister, we made decisions such as stopping face-to-face assessments because we could not do them. We all recognise that the recovery from that covid time has not gone as well as it should, but if the Secretary of State cannot deliver a shift in the numbers, the economy will be in a death spiral. She needs to recognise that these changes need to be reset radically to meet the country’s expectations.