Man of the people Andy Burnham would cut DWP benefits

Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield means he’s being hailed as the Labour left saviour for the country – but he actually wants to cut benefits via the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) just as much as Starmer.

Burnham told the Times that he would reduce the welfare bill, which in real terms means more cuts to benefits for vulnerable people.

The new MP for Makerfield said:

I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all.

But don’t worry, folks, he’s not just gonna cut benefits, he wants to force everyone into work too.

Burnham explained:

It is not the traditional Westminster way of just crude cuts, short-term cuts that then create a backlash and create more political turbulence. It is actually going to do things that will reduce the benefits bill, moving towards a more preventative state that makes the right investments to support people into work.

Burnham supports cruel DWP schemes

This makes sense when you consider that he supported the WorkWell scheme and hosted a pilot in Manchester. The scheme also started in Manchester, where its precursor, Working Well, was as successful as WorkWell. As the Canary’s Hannah Sharland exposed, Working Well basically amounted to disabled claimants being passed around different services that they could already access without the jobcentre getting involved.

He’s also told the times he agrees with the Milburn review that more should be spent on forcing people into work.

Burnham said:

We do not have a preventative, productive, growth-enabling state, we are doing the opposite. We end up dealing with crises and spending huge amounts of money supporting people in a crisis situation rather than into much much earlier intervention to a more positive outcome.

As the Canary has extensively covered, the Milburn review is just another excuse for the DWP and government to ruin disabled kids lives. While the review might just be trying to prove Milburn’s own foregone conclusion, the DWP needed to cause a media panic because the math wasn’t mathing when it came to the interim report.

Of course whilst he’s against more welfare spending, he supports more defence spending. He also wants government defence procurement contracts to include ‘social value’, such as apprenticeships and work placements. Which is convenient when the DWP’s Youth Guarantee scheme is packed with loads of warmongers.

Burnham is just another beige man

And it seems he’s already going back on his pledges to support vulnerable people and he’s doing it at an even faster rate than Starmer. On Wednesday, 10 June, Andy Burnham vowed to support the WASPI women in the strongest terms possible. Then, one day later, he ruled out compensation and instead floated the idea of cheaper travel, which pensioners already have.

As the Canary’s Willem Moore pointed out, it’s not the only thing he’s been wishy-washy on:

• Burnham is silent on wealth taxes – not a promising sign from potential PM.
• Burnham WON’T back proportional representation this parliament.
• Shapeshifting Burnham ditches trans rights to panic-grab Reform votes.
• Burnham slammed for saying he won’t renationalise Thames Water.
• Burnham calls for ‘safe routes’ then agrees with Farage in muddled interview.
• Green candidate calls out genocide as Burnham sits on fence.

At the end of the day, if Burnham does overthrow Starmer, not much will change. Burnham’s team have worked hard on his man of the people image, but he’s just another beige opinionless man in tiny shorts.

Ultimately, he’s just another centrist da who pretends to have slightly left-leaning views, then throws disabled people under the bus just as easily – but at least the bus fare will only cost £2.

Featured image via the Canary