Reform UK’s new Shadow Chancellor, Robert Jenrick, has slammed the brakes on the party’s bombshell £90 billion tax cut promise. Instead, he’s pledging a “fully costed” and sensible approach to Britain’s finances in his first major speech since stepping into the hot seat.
Jenrick ditches wild tax slash for realism
Speaking in the City of London, Newark MP Jenrick admitted Reform UK can’t slash taxes while juggling a huge budget deficit. “We also understand that we can’t make tax cuts while running a huge deficit in the vain hope that the Laffer curve alone will do the hard work for us,” the ex-Tory said.
He promised a sweeping review of the tax system, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Nigel Lawson’s epic Thatcher-era shakeup.
“We want a simpler, fairer tax system that incentivises work, saving and investment. That means fixing the absurd marginal tax rates many face today,” Jenrick said. “So we intend to review the tax code in a programme not seen since the landmark reforms of Nigel Lawson.”
Welfare overhauled: tougher rules and stricter claims
Jenrick confirmed a major U-turn on welfare too, scrapping previous plans to ditch the two-child benefit cap – echoing leader Nigel Farage’s recent backtracking.
Instead, Reform UK will launch the “most comprehensive welfare reform plan in British politics” aiming to “defuse the benefits bomb set to bankrupt Britain.”
The plan targets disability claimants with mild conditions like anxiety and depression, pushing them into work by enforcing clinical diagnoses and in-person assessments to crack down on benefit “abuse.”
Jenrick singled out the Motability scheme, condemning “expensive cars given for conditions like tennis elbow, paid for by working people who can’t afford those cars themselves.”
Reform UK will also tighten eligibility to benefits, restricting claims to British nationals only. “We’ll make sure only British nationals can claim benefits in the first place,” Jenrick promised.
From firebrand to credible contender?
This policy pivot away from headline-grabbing giveaways signals Reform UK’s bid to win mainstream support ahead of the next general election.
Jenrick’s tax overhaul could become the biggest shakeup since the 1980s if his party gains power. His tough welfare reforms could prove controversial but are aimed at tackling Britain’s soaring social security bill.
The City speech marks Reform UK’s shift from protest to serious policymaker – with Jenrick at the helm, trying to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its usual voters.
