Burnham Rejects Welfare Cuts for Defence Spending

Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced pointed questioning on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, over his government's plans for defence spending and its funding, particularly rejecting proposals to cut welfare benefits. During his second appearance at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr. Burnham was pressed by Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch on how the government would meet military spending targets. Mr. Burnham stated that national security "can't come at the expense of social security," directly rebuffing suggestions to reduce housing benefit by approximately £4 billion to help fund defence. He argued that such a cut could lead to significant levels of homelessness and that the government would not be forced to choose between bolstering national defences and supporting social security. Instead, Mr. Burnham indicated that welfare costs would be reduced through what he described as "the Labour way," focusing on education, support for young people, and mental health services. He also pointed to council housebuilding plans and addressing the issue of young people not in education, employment, or training as long-term strategies to lower welfare expenditure.