Best Of

New rules, which come into force this week, will allow benefits claimants aged 25 and over to receive PIP awards for four years after an initial assessment, and then a further six years after a review. Under the current system, claimants face reviews as often as every nine months.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/30/starmer-makes-easier-stay-on-benefits/

This news depresses me enough to claim PIP.

It is only a phone call away

The vocal ‘scrap the triple lock’ brigade are always very quiet about the other side of the benefits bill.

PiP is about 9% of welfare spending, state pension about 45%. You can, and should, clamp down on PiP fraud, but it's never going to save you much compared to pensions.

I’m talking about all non pension welfare.

Fine at the moment but the rate of increase is worrying and this chart worries me.

Now you cannot just cut what people get now, but slowing the rate of growth, as SKS and Reeves wanted to do, is the solution.

The main reason for that projected increase is "an ageing population" pensions, health, social care... Trump turning to world upside down is another
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewlwkg82ggo

And ?

The main reason is not the only reason.

If we’re not going to grow the economy substantially or grow revenues substantially then slowing the rapid growth of the benefits bill as a whole, as well as other spending, is going to be essential.

Scrapping the triple lock alone won’t cut it.

No, but it's the one you have to do otherwise any other cuts are pointless.
Health, probably have to put half over 50s on weight loss jabs, healthy living campaigns don't seem to be effective.
Then as Foxy says support and encourage the working age long-term sick into work.

Kemi is lowering standards, ferfuxake, what a terrible idea.

Builders as Tory MPs? I mean no wonder she keeps on getting mullered in elections.

Badenoch: I want teachers and builders to become Tory MPs

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/30/badenoch-want-teachers-builders-future-tory-mps/

'Future Tory candidate selection, she said, would focus on the five C’s – cleverness, charisma, communication skills, conviction and Conservatism.

“I will not allow people who do not share our beliefs to use the Conservative Party as a vehicle to further their personal ambitions,” she added.'

What is capital C Conservatism? People have very different ideas about that.

Thesedays around half the people who might be interested in Conservatism are more excited by Reform - never mind if they are conservative or Conservative.

Will they have to provide certification for cleverness, whatever that is as she palpapbly can't according to US sources

Will she have yo evidence she has any charisma, she has none.

Will they only communicate on Twitter like her?

Will they have the conviction to deny saying she wanted to go to war with US v Iran when she definitely did, or will you need a conviction for web hacking?

FFS

She makes Truss look like Theresa

Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst not a lawyer or PPE or Humanities graduate so I suppose she wants some more practical people like her

FINALLY...Kemi brags about being an Engineer!

The word has connertations of the Golden Industrai era, a Golden technology age, hands dirty in oil.

But NO

"Kemi is a software engineer and systems analyst "

That is plain English (at the very low level of work experience she had is)...

"I'm sorry your Computer is not working please turn it off at the plg, count to 30 and see if it works, if it doesn't ring the IT Call Centre back and me or one of my 200 colleagues sat in this old warehouse will tell you to do the same again"

I'm obviously no fan of Badenoch's but that post is just offensive stupidity.

Gemini summarises her pre-politics work experience thus:

Private Sector & Professional Experience (2003–2016)

Badenoch holds a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sussex and a part-time Law degree from Birkbeck, University of London.

Software Engineer at Logica: Worked in the information technology sector from 2003 to 2006 for the tech firm Logica (which later became part of CGI Inc).

Systems Analyst at RBS: Moved into financial tech, working on systems analysis and technology change programmes for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Associate Director at Coutts: Spent several years (2006–2013) at the private wealth manager and bank Coutts & Co., transitioning from tech infrastructure roles into financial compliance following the 2008 financial crisis.

Digital Director at The Spectator: Headed up the non-editorial digital department for The Spectator magazine from 2015 to 2016.

Impossible to tell the depth or quality of those roles from that but it's clearly more than 'very low level of work experience'.

I wonder why we get Rachel from accounts and Kemi from work experience. It never seems to be Michael's or Graham's.

We had Dave from mummy got him a job, and George from straight into politics

I would add , get the working age not sick off benefits and make them work instead.

This is one I can agree with. Why are there in-work benefits? Pay people the value of their worth without resorting to a UC handout.

MAGA was never about winning wars in the middle east. So no reason to think a calamity in Iran will change much.

MAGA is me. Trump has said this and all indications are that he's correct. It's a personality cult in other words. And he does, tbf, have a strong personality. I find it utterly repellent, he has none of the traits I like or admire in a human being and just about all the ones I can't stand, but the cult members love him to bits. It's an unconditional and enduring love, a love that lasts forever, a love that has no past (preceding him). Can't say I understand it. Can't say I want to.

I hope it dies without him, but it's consequences will be felt for a long time. They might break up a little to compete to see who is the Trumpiest, for a start.

I do wonder if the Trump kids will try to 'lead' it after he eventually dies, but none of them have his level of horrible charisma.

It's the utter shamelessness that makes him unique. Anyone else would betray at least a modicum of embarrassment in telling the most brazen-faced lies and engaging in the egregious self-contradiction that characterises his daily output. So, thankfully I can't quite see anyone else being able to replicate his modus operandi as successfully as he does.

Longish thread by Rentoul on Kemi and her party's fortunes:


https://x.com/JohnRentoul/status/2061001676421513448

Rather a reasonable analysis.

The Conservatives will survive. They always do, but I see them subsumed by Reform with Reform taking the brand name.They won't be Butskellist Tories, but the name lives on. Badenoch is half way there as we speak.

If the Tories were taken over by Reform then they wouldn't have survived they would effectively have been taken over by Reform whatever name the new party was called

It'll be like the liberals and sdp

That morphed on to Liberal Democrats.

Post 2029 whether Reform will or not it will morph

RCG

Reform and Conservative Group.

Very few current Tory MPs will survive, especially in Essex

Curse of new thread.

Guardian in Makerfield. Actually in Hindley, too.
The Bickershaw industrial scale fly tipping would have been a national scandal had it happened anywhere near a media person's home.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/31/labour-have-lost-their-way-voters-in-makerfield-say-its-time-for-a-change

And this.

Arrest following investigation into 18-thousand tonnes illegal waste dump in Wigan
https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2026-05-20/man-arrested-following-investigation-into-25-tonne-illegal-waste-dump-in-wigan
A man has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into large-scale, illegal dumping of waste at multiple sites across England.

Officers from West Midlands Police arrested a 58-year-old male from the Birmingham area on suspicion of environmental, fraud and money laundering offences.

The suspect has now been released on conditional bail pending further investigation..

Perhaps they'll get around to the money laundering barbers/vape shops/mini marts next year ?

The NCA are finally getting involved in those rather than leaving it almost solely to Trading Standards, so yes probably start to see some enforcement and action next year.