Politics latest: 'I am cross': Liz Kendall laments state of welfare system (2025)

It's been a hugely consequential day for the government, with the work and pensions secretary announcing long-trailed cuts and changes to benefits.

We are discussing and debating the changes now on Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, and below, our political editor Beth Rigbyexplains everything you need to know below...

Turning to the UK's role in negotiations around the war in Ukraine, Sophy Ridge asks former Tory party chair Sir Jake Berry what Sir Keir Starmer should do next.

He replies: "I actually think Starmer's doing really well. I think he has shown himself in a leadership role.

"We had that extraordinary scene in the White House, which was really President Trump and his deputy putting Zelenskyy in his place, softening him up for these talks.

"And I was really proud of our prime minister, Keir Starmer, and Emmanuel Macron, and other global leaders who came forward and stood strong and proudly with Ukraine."

But he goes on to say that the reality is that a deal will have to be done because Trump will not support Ukraine in continuing to fight.

"I think, unfortunately for the Ukrainians, that's going to see them lose significant portions of their territory to the Russian aggressors," he adds.

We are now speaking to our panel to get their views on the Trump-Putin phone call this afternoon.

Former Tory party chair Sir Jake Berrysays Russia, China, and the US these days are "more interested in their own interests and their spheres of influence than necessarily getting the right deal for Ukraine".

He continues: "I think the Americans will be both surprised and disappointed by how this call went for President Trump."

He notes that Trump had got Ukraine to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, but failed to get Putin to agree the same.

And he points out that Russia came out straight away with briefings about how well the call had gone for President Putin, while there was "a significant delay from the White House".

"It feels to me like they were saying, 'this hasn't gone how we hoped, let's get our stories straight, how can we put a positive spin on this'," Berry said.

"They've done their best - I'm not sure it is that positive for them."

Environmental campaigner Dale Vicesays he did not see a huge amount of difference between the two sides' accounts of the phone call.

He notes that until now, peace has not been a conversation, but two months into Trump's presidency, it is.

"It may be imperfect right now, it may not look like the West wants. But we've got to be a bit realistic - we've failed to beat Russia on the battlefield with America's help, and America will no longer help," he says.

To that end, Vince argues that "these discussions of peace have to be coming from a position where Russia is winning, and Russia will win because Trump will no longer support the war".

First on tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, we are discussing the outcomes of the Trump-Putin phone call this afternoon.

Donald Trump has since said that the call was "very good and productive", and said they "agreed to an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a complete ceasefire and, ultimately, an end to this very horrible war".

Read the details and follow the latest in our dedicated live coverage here:

Politics Hub With Sophy Ridgeis live now on Sky News.

We will be going through the vast changes made to benefits today, and how they will affect claimants.

Also on the agenda is Donald Trump's lengthy phone call with Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine.

On Sophy's panel tonight is Dale Vince, an environmental campaigner and Labour donor who has called on the government to impose a wealth tax to raise money.

Former Tory party chairman Sir Jake Berry is also on Sophy's panel to give his view on today's announcements.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, at the link below - and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgefrom Monday to Thursday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

A lot has happened since this morning, so in case you missed it, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch declared thatthe UK's target to reach net zero by 2050 is "impossible".

She said the net zero goal cannot be achieved without "a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us".

Net zero means cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change, to virtually zero, and absorbing the rest elsewhere.

Scientists say the world must reach that point by 2050 to avoid even worse flooding, wildfires, and other damage - but that action is lagging behind.

Given the scientific consensus, former Tory PM Baroness Theresa May signed the target into law in 2019, and she has hit out at her successor for rowing back on it.

She wrote on X: Net zero by 2050 is challenging but achievable.

"It is supported by the scientific community and backed by the independent Climate Change Committee as being not just necessary but feasible and cost-effective.

"We are already seeing the impact of climate change. From extreme weather events to supply chain disruption and increased climate-induced migration.

"With every additional increment of warming, the risks of climate change increase significantly, and at an increasing rate.

"Delaying action will only harm the next generation and increase both the economic and social costs of climate change."

Away from benefits for a moment, David Lammy has been under the spotlight today after Downing Street rowed back on his comments about Israel yesterday.

The foreign secretary gave a wide-ranging statement in the Commons on Monday afternoon, saying for the first time that Israel is breaking international law by withholding aid to Gaza.

But Downing Street said today that there has been no change in the government's position, and that Israel is "at clear risk" of breaking international law.

Lammy has since spoken to Bloomberg and said he "could have been clearer" in the Commons, and that breaches of international law are ultimately "matters for courts to determine".

So did he misspeak when taking questions from MPs on Monday?

The foreign secretary appeared to be very clear when answering the same question from two separate MPs, according to both the video footage and the transcript in Hansard.

Firstly, Lammy was asked by Dr Rupa Huq what consequences there will be for Israel for withholding aid "for what people are saying is a breach of international law".

He replied: "My honourable friend is right: this is a breach of international law."

Later, Lammy was asked by Jeremy Corbyn why he will not say that Israel is in breach of international law by withholding aid.

He replied: "I did say in my contribution that Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law."

The foreign secretary's position appeared very clear-cut - but now he says he "could have been clearer".

Downing Street was asked repeatedly by journalists if the foreign secretary was incorrect in what he told the House, but they refused to say.

Sky News has contacted the Foreign Office and Lammy's team for more information, but has yet to receive a response.

A point of controversy today has been that the government has taken the unusual decision not to publish impact assessments of the benefit cuts they announced today.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defended the decision to our political editor Beth Rigby, saying: "The OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility] will come forward with its assessment, its independent assessment of the total numbers affected [by the changes] and by how much.

"And we will have to wait, I'm afraid."

Asked why she didn't wait to announce these cuts until the assessments could be published, Kendall replied: "We always said we'd come forward with the green paper before the spring statement.

"And to be honest, Beth, there's been all sorts of speculation about this. I wanted to come to the House. I wanted to be open about what we're doing."

Pushed on if reporting that the changes will affected a million people, she declined to answer, saying everyone will have to wait for the OBR assessment, due to be published late next week.

There were reports in newspapers over the last week that Liz Kendall wanted to go further in cutting benefits than she announced today - and in particular, that she wanted to freeze personal independence payments (PIP).

But speaking to our political editor Beth Rigby, she categorically denied those reports.

The work and pensions secretary said: "Actually, I've never started from a sort of macho tough position. I've never done politics like that.

"This is about real people and real lives," she said.

Pushed a second time on whether she wanted to freeze PIP, Kendall said: "No, I mean, let me just, let me just say this - that my purpose has always been about reforming the system, getting people into work who can, protecting those who can't."

The work and pensions secretary is about to oversee the biggest cut to welfare since 2015, and ourpolitical editor Beth Rigbyasked her if she is entirely comfortable with that.

Liz Kendall replied that she will fix a "broken system" and declared that she believes in the "potential" of "people who've been written off and denied chances and choices".

She continued: "I am cross because I've seen in my own constituency people written off to a life that is not the life they hoped for themselves or their children or their families.

"I want to fix it. And that's what I'm determined to do."

A Labour MP, Jon Trickett, has said that "cuttingwelfare payments to sick people is wrong morally", and Beth asked Kendall if she is out of touch with the British people on this.

She replied: "What I think is morally wrong is writing off people who could work. What's morally wrong is looking at a benefit system where we are spending more and more on the costs of failure.

"And if that continues, the welfare state that we created won't be there for the very people who need it."