Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, CPC 2025 Speech

Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, CPC 2025 Speech

“Good afternoon, Conference.

Craig is an extraordinary inspiration.

I remember back in 2015, he turned up in an ancient Land Rover to campaign with me in a housing estate in Maidstone.

Back then Craig had a no nonsense, pull your socks up attitude.

He's been through a lot since then, and he still has it.

I asked Craig to kick off this session, not only because I knew he would do a great job, but because his attitude is what the whole country needs.

Everyone goes through hard times.

I am sure all of you have, one way or another.

I bet you have always done your best to find your own way through.

That's the Conservative way.

And it's not just us. That is how most people think.

But not everyone.

We are here because we know we have a really important job to do – if not us, who?

But millions of people right now, are sitting on the sofa at home.

Millions have got themselves a sick note from the GP and signed onto sickness benefits with just a form and a phone call.

Millions are getting benefits for anxiety and ADHD, along with a free Motability car.

TikTok videos tell you how - and some people even pay for VIP services to boost their chances of a successful benefits claim.

Yes, there are people with serious illnesses and disabilities,

But one in four people now describe themselves as disabled, so what does the term even mean?

We've got 10 million people of working age now claiming benefits

1 million young people not in employment, education or training.

Just when they should be getting going. Getting experience, and that feeling of having money in your pocket that you've earned yourself.

I genuinely feel we're at risk of a wasted generation.

And our economy needs people – not just migrants imported to fill the gap.

The right answer has to be: get British people into work.

Last week I went to Teeside, and I visited a great British family business, Pickerings Lifts.

They install lifts, all round the country, and they have a great apprenticeship scheme.

There are 5,000 people unemployed there, in Stockton-on-Tees.

And right on their doorstep is an estate which was in the infamous Benefits Street documentary.

We were talking about the jobs situation, and the MD of Pickering said “Actually, we've got lots of vacancies, it's really hard to get people to do these jobs – and stick at them”.

And I'm sitting there thinking, what an earth. People tell me the problem is all the jobs now are in social care or the gig economy – or need skills people don't have. But here you have exactly the sort of jobs people say they want, along with training, a decent salary, and good career prospects.

So, what are people doing instead of working at Pickerings?

The problem is, you can get 5,000 pounds more a year on sickness benefits than a minimum wage worker.

So, no surprise that's what many people are choosing.

And it's wrong. Our welfare system should be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice.

Keir Starmer has said he wants to make welfare savings.

Back in the summer he tried.

But he failed so catastrophically, that instead of saving money, he ended up forking out 300 million pounds of your money to get his backbenchers to vote for his bill.

That's what a weak leader looks like, Keir cowering in fear from his left-wing backbenchers.

In a few weeks' time, Rachel Reeves will be putting up our taxes again.

We will all be paying more because Labour MPs would rather hike your taxes than get a grip of their welfare system.

So would the Lib Dems, the Greens, the SNP, Plaid and even Reform.

All of them want the Government to spend billions more on welfare.

£3.5 billion more, just to end the two-child benefit cap.

Where will they find that money?

And it's not fair. 

People in work make tough decisions about whether they can afford to even start a family, and they don't get paid more if they have an extra child.

Believe me, I am all for encouraging people to have kids.

But people on benefits should face the same decisions as the rest of us.

It's about taking responsibility for the choices you make.

That's the Conservative way.

Labour doesn't get it – and Nigel doesn't either.

We need a government with the courage to do what's right, not just what sounds nice.

That leaves us as the only party who can fix welfare.

That's why I've got my common sense plan for savings.

Fix the 'sick note' system, bring back face-to-face assessments, end sickness benefits for low level mental health problems, stop the abuse of Motability, and put British citizens first in our benefits system – just living here is not a reason to get money from taxpayers.

And that's not all.

We will change our sickness benefit system, so it helps those who really need help and stops turning people into victims.

We will make the benefits cap do what it should, so that families on benefits aren't better off than those in work.

And we'll tackle the massive hike in housing benefit.

All that gives you billions of savings off the benefits bill. 

Savings that can help us balance the country's books and money to help people into work.

Because this isn't just about savings, it's about turning people's lives around.

And for us to succeed as a country, we need everyone to put their shoulder to the wheel.

Conference, it's time to return to the Conservative principles we know are the secret to our country's success.

Personal responsibility, aspiration, fairness, real compassion, living within our means.

Labour have only one playbook. Handouts and higher taxes. 

Reform, in the words of their newest MP, will spend like drunken sailors.  

The job of fixing welfare falls to us. All of us.

I have a plan but there's more to do.

The hard yards, the hard thinking, the tough decisions to turn this country around.

From stagnation to growth, from envy to aspiration, and from despondency to hope.

Thank you, Conference.”