Last week arguably started on a high for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his team as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a piece of legislation aimed at easing planning regulations and ushering in an increase in housebuilding and development projects, easily passed through second reading. In addition to delivering millions of new homes to tackle the UK’s housing crisis, the Bill will also create new jobs and opportunities across the nation.
This win, however, quickly fell into the shadow of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement on Wednesday which resulted in widespread criticism across the political divide towards the government.
The most notable announcement in the Spring Statement was the cutting of welfare measures, including a freeze on the health element of universal credit for new claimants until 2030 and the tightening of the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments. Reeves also outlined the government’s intention to get rid of the work capability assessment.
According to the government’s own estimates, an additional 25,000 people will be left in relative poverty as a result of these changes, although Reeves has stated she is “absolutely certain” that the measures will not push more people into destitution – a direct contradiction of the Department for Work and Pension’s impact assessment.
Although the government appears to be standing firm on the welfare cuts at the moment, it is facing considerable pressure from Labour MPs to reverse its decision. This includes from notable parliamentarians, such as the Labour chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Debbie Abrahams, who asked “How will making people sicker and poorer help to drive our economy up and get people into jobs?”.
Furthermore, more than 20 Labour MPs have publicly stated that they will not back the government when the welfare reforms are voted on in Parliament – as such, this controversial policy is expected to be a thorn in the government’s side over the coming months.
After a somewhat challenging week for the government, the announcement the Prime Minister's communications director was quitting brought further instability on Friday. After nine months in Downing Street Labour insider Matthew Doyle resigned from his post – the second senior member of Starmer’s team to leave since the general election, following Sue Gray’s departure last year. Doyle’s departure follows repeated complaints from ministers about the party’s communications strategy, including around its post-election party conference last year, and so it will be worth watching if this reset appeases critics in the cabinet.
This week, the Prime Minister is hosting interior ministers from across the world as the government tries to limit illegal immigration into the UK. The summit is being delivered alongside £33 million of new funding to disrupt international smuggling networks and boost prosecutions. Government focus over the next few days will also be on upcoming tarrifs being imposed by the US, with the government having last-minute negotiations with the White House ahead of a 25% tax on car imports and threats of wider tariffs on other goods on 2nd April.
What's on in Parliament
Monday 31st March
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Home Office
- Legislation: Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]: Remaining stages
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Impact on the privacy of Apple customers of the company’s decision to withdraw their advanced data protection service in the UK
- Legislation: Mental Health Bill - report stage (day 1)
Tuesday 1st April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
- Ten Minute Rule Motion: Transport (Duty to Cooperate)
- Westminster Hall debate: Eating disorder awareness
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Releasing the results of the trials of e-scooters in England
- Oral questions: Effectiveness of stop and search in tackling knife crime
- House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill - committee stage (day 5)
Wednesday 2nd April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Northern Ireland
- Prime Minister's Question Time
- Westminster Hall debate: Impact of university finances on jobs in higher education
- Ten Minute Rule Motion: Co-operative Housing Tenure
- Motion to approve the Draft Infrastructure Planning (Onshore Wind and Solar Generation) Order 2025
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Streamlining eligibility for free school meals
- Oral questions: Assessment of the government of Mauritius reopening negotiations on the Chagos Islands
- Legislation: Bus Services (No. 2) Bill - report stage (day 2)
Thursday 3rd April
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Culture, Media and Sport
- Backbench Business: General debate on the impact of digital platforms on UK democracy
- Westminster Hall debate: Government support for Thames Water
House of Lords
- Debate: The impact of the Government's economic and planning measures on farming and rural communities
- Debate: The affordability of achieving the net zero emissions target by 2050
Friday 4th April
The House of Commons and House of Lords is not sitting.
Consultations
- Oversight and regulation of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system - Closes 8th May
- Better use of new and improved third party data - Closes 21st May
- National day for victim and survivors of terrorism - Closes 11th June
Statistics
- School capacity in England: academic year 2023 to 2024 - Published 27th March
- Provisional UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics 2024 - Published 27th March
- Consumer trends, UK: October to December 2024 - Published 28th March