John Healey has insisted Britain's spiralling welfare bill will be come down under a Labour government, after the chancellor sparked confusion about benefit cuts this week.
Downing Street issued a hurried statement after Mr Healey suggested earlier this week in an interview that there would be a "reduction in the benefits bill" before the next general election.
He insisted the government would "do that in a Labour way", leading to reports that he had confirmed the cuts would start before July 2029. That forced No 10 to deny any such plans, saying it was an incorrect interpretation of his reply.
