Rishi Sunak Hopes A Benefits Squeeze Will Boost His Fortunes

A focus on slicing benefits will be at the heart of Rishi Sunak's message this Spring as the bruised Prime Minister tries to shift attention away from persistent Tory party infighting and towards his economic agenda. 

Sunak is expected to make his hundredth UK public appearance this year over Easter, spending the three-week parliamentary recess doing "political" stop-offs around the country. His travels began on Friday in Derbyshire, where he launched the Conservative party's local elections campaign — a set of regional votes on 2 May that are expected to result in major losses for the beleaguered Tories.

While on the road the Prime Minister is eager to hammer home his claim that efforts to turn the economy around are starting to pay off. He will point to inflation this week falling to 3.4 per cent (global factors have played a significant part in the rate continuing to drop) and the Bank of England signalling that interest rate cuts are on their way.

But Sunak is also preparing to talk more about what PoliticsHome understands will be a major part of the Government's agenda this Spring: taking the axe to the benefits regime.

One No 10 source said that reducing the size of the state in this way was a "natural" part of Sunak's politics, while doing so could also help the Government raise more money to fund further tax cuts before the next general election. Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt have hinted they intend to hold another fiscal event before finally going to the polls in the Autumn.

Minsters have already pitch-rolled the strategy this week. In an interview with The Telegraph on Thursday, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said there was a "danger" that openness about mental health had gone "too far"