Reform UK is “going to approach tax and spend very carefully”, the party’s new economy spokesperson tells Sky News.
Robert Jenrick says the “country is going bankrupt, and we’ve got to be responsible”, saying his party won’t be “a repeat of Liz Truss”.
He confirms Reform will reimpose the two-child benefit limit – despite it previously being Reform policy to scrap it for some families.
Jenrick told Sky News ’ Trevor Phillips: “We will be careful with people’s money. That is at the heart of Reform’s economic policy.”
He says people who choose not to have an extra child because they couldn’t afford it shouldn’t have to pay through their taxes for others to have larger families, reflecting Reform’s view on fairness in social policies.
I do think there’s a matter of fairness here that working people making responsible decisions should be backed up and not see other people who were perhaps choosing to be on welfare, who perhaps are not in work, and having lots of kids or living a life having a fancy car on the Motability scheme.
“That doesn’t seem right to working people.
Jenrick calls Reform “a party of alarm clock Britain.
We want to support working people, not welfare,” he says.
He adds that Reform doesn’t yet have a position on the pensions triple lock, although he says he has always supported it, which aims to maintain transparency and build trust with the audience.
Speaking at a press event in London last week, the former Communities Secretary outlined the party’s plans for “historic tax changes” aimed at incentivising work and reducing dependency on state support.
We are on the verge of a public finance crisis,” Jenrick said.
“Our nation cannot sustain the current trajectory of welfare spending. Reform UK’s plan will put hard-earned money back in taxpayers’ pockets, while ensuring that those who can work are supported to do so.
The party’s warning comes amid growing concerns from economists and think tanks that rising welfare spending, combined with other pressures such as energy costs and inflation, could leave the government facing a multi-billion-pound shortfall. Reform UK argues that urgent action is required to prevent what it calls a looming fiscal crisis.
“If we fail to act, the next generation will inherit a country weighed down by debt and dependency,” Jenrick said. “We must take bold steps now to protect taxpayers, support families, and create real opportunities for work and prosperity.”
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