The most common of question we’ve received this week is ‘why are UK welfare cuts and reforms happening now?’ There are dozens of reasons why the reforms on welfare are being prioritised by the Starmer government, fear being the first.
Fear of civil unrest, fear of French style protests, where change is demanded or off to ‘la guillotine’, well, perhaps not as violent. But taking to the streets in numbers, demanding change; remember the Gaza protests, the unrest in Merseyside, and lets not forget the labour losses at the general election, where Starmer lost his ‘best mate’ in Leicester, are all these are contributing factors, why the Labour government must implement Tory policies.
Why Are UK Welfare Cuts Happening Now?
UK welfare cuts and the announcement of further reforms are increasingly out of touch with the needs of the public, and it’s all smoke and mirrors whilst foreign aid spending to Ukraine goes up.
We’ve had four years of inflation yet, the Government continues to prioritise foreign aid over its own people.
Keeping the public in a state of financial insecurity, allows politicians maintain control while diverting spending towards areas that benefit their financial backers. But where is all our tax money actually going, and why are we always told to tighten our belts while government spending skyrockets?
Why Is UK Welfare Being Cut While Foreign Aid Spending Increases?
There are dozens of reasons why welfare reforms are out of touch, but significantly, they come against the backdrop of aid being sent to Ukraine and increased NATO spending. This makes the average Brit wonder: why is our health not prioritised?
There’s a simple answer to this—if we, as the general public, feel too safe and secure, we may start noticing the damage politicians are doing to our country.
Politicians are using the age-old adage: ‘beggars can’t be choosers’. When we are worried about paying our bills or stressed about putting food on the table, how can we possibly have time to focus on other issues?
Rising Inflation vs. Stagnant Welfare: Are Brits Being Left Behind?
Compare this to Sweden—Sweden’s social benefit programmes, known for their comprehensive and universal coverage, are funded through tax contributions, ensuring a higher standard of living than in the UK.
But as a consequence, we get figures like Greta Thunberg, who is able to dedicate herself entirely to social causes. Imagine what could happen if we had that in the UK!
Inflation and Welfare
This is exactly why the government will always cut welfare rather than increase it. They may manipulate figures—cutting in one area while giving in another—but in real terms, welfare never increases, not even in line with inflation.
Inflation has risen by:
- 4.7% in 2021
- 11.1% in 2022
- 7.3% in 2023
- 2.5% in 2024
That’s a cumulative increase of 25.6% in just four years. Can anyone say their welfare payments have increased by the same amount? Inflation and welfare are obviously linked making welfare a priority should be the mandate at a time of crisis.
How Fear Politics Keeps the Public Distracted
This brings us to why politicians like Keir Starmer constantly emphasise the ‘enemy’—Russia. Using statements like “Putin is not serious about peace”, they hammer home the narrative that Russia is an immediate threat.
But in reality, Russia has never attacked or threatened to invade the UK. In fact, during World War II, the Soviet Union played a crucial role in defeating Hitler. So why is Russia continuously painted as the ultimate villain?
The Russia Fear Tactic: Justifying Increased Military Spending
If the government can keep us afraid of Russia, they can justify foreign aid spending more on defence and increased NATO spending. But where does this money ultimately go? It flows back into the pockets of politicians’ financial backers, the military-industrial complex, big pharma, and banks, who lend the government money—money we, the public, must repay with interest.
FYI—when politicians claim they have “reduced the deficit,” they are only referring to the deficit for that calendar year. This does not mean the national debt has gone down—it simply means they borrowed slightly less than before.
Where Is Your Tax Money Really Going? The UK’s Growing Debt Crisis
The current UK deficit stands at £2.7 trillion, equivalent to 96% of GDP—or roughly £39,300 per person in the UK.
And here’s the real kicker:
- Before COVID, healthcare spending was less than 10% of GDP.
- Post-COVID, it has risen to 11% of GDP.
Even if we generously assume that health costs make up 12% of government spending, what is happening with the remaining 88% of our money?
While the BBC and other mainstream economists focus on stories about welfare reforms, immigration, and Russia, they conveniently fail to tell you the real truths about what is actually happening to our country and questioning the validity of the UK welfare cuts are spinning as a mess the previous government left us.