Labour to support welfare cap in vote

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said the party supports restricting the amount spent on welfare and will back the measure announced by George Osborne in last week’s Budget.

Mr Osborne said that total welfare spending in 2015-16 will be restricted to £119.5bn – the current budget – excluding pensions and jobseekers’ allowance.

The cap means any future Government wishing to spend more than the annual limit will have to return to Parliament to request permission.

With the Tories seeking to paint Labour as the “party of welfare”, Mr Balls made clear he will be supporting the cap.

“Ed Miliband called for an overall cap on social security spending last year, so we will support the welfare cap in the House of Commons today,” the Morley and Outwood MP said.