THE CHAIRMAN of the Tory party has urged Ministers to keep their views within the Cabinet.
Jake Berry was commenting after his colleague Penny Mourdant went public with her views on what the Government should do about benefits.
Speaking on GB News this morning, Mr Berry said: “My own personal view is that those cabinet discussions which take place once those figures are known, and once we can make a decision based on fact, should take place around the Cabinet table.
“A decision should be made collectively and whatever people’s own views are, the arena for discussion is the Cabinet Room and that’s where those discussions should stay.”
Refusing to give his view on whether benefits should rise with inflation he added: “I believe the Government should work in facts rather than sort of crystal ball gazing. We will know later on in this quarter what those figures are when those figures arrive.
“It is absolutely usual. It’s happened in every government, including Labour governments and governments for decades. But the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Chancellor make a decision on what they’re going to do with benefits like Universal Credit, that decision then comes to the cabinet.
“In truth you’re asking me to comment on why we haven’t made a decision. Well, the truth is we don’t actually have the facts. We don’t know what the inflation figures [will be], we can’t make a decision until that information is received.”
Meanwhile Mr Berry also indicated the Government will proceed with building the HS2 rail link and hit out at protesters who “superglue themselves to motorways”.
He said: “We are on the side of those hard-working families who want to get to work, not on the side of the people who super glue themselves to motorways. The government has proved why it is working hard for households. Just this month, the average family energy bill was predicted to go up to around £6,000 through the action we have taken that has been brought down to £2,500 which apart from other things is tackling inflation, but it’s helping families.
“Again this month, when people’s pay cheques drop through the front door or more likely arrive in their inbox, they’ll see that every single working house person in this country has had a cut in their National Insurance.
“That’s the message the Prime Minister is sending out and she is on the side of the British people. She shares their values and she shares their ambitions both for themselves and for their family.”
