Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a fierce religious and political attack on Chancellor Rachel Reeves, labelling her Autumn Budget and its associated £26bn tax hike to fund welfare as 'unchristian'. The remarks were made during an appearance on Nick Robinson's Political Thinking podcast on Friday, 28 November 2025.
A Budget for 'Benefits Street' Britain
Badenoch characterised the Labour government's financial plan as a budget for 'Benefits Street' Britain, a pointed critique of its focus on expanding the welfare state. This criticism is backed by forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which predict that welfare spending will soar by £16bn by 2030 compared to previous estimates.
The OBR's report further detailed that over the next five years, overall welfare spending is projected to increase by a staggering £73.2bn, reaching £406.2bn. A significant portion of this rise, approximately £34bn, is attributed to the state pension triple lock. A key driver of the immediate increase is Labour's controversial decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a move expected to add £3.1bn annually to the welfare bill.
The Theological Argument Against the Welfare Splurge
When defending her 'unchristian' description, Badenoch argued that the Christian tradition is rooted in voluntary community and family support, not state-mandated redistribution. "In early Christian times, there was no state or welfare," she stated, "so I think that you can argue that, actually. The Christian tradition is about communities and families and charity, not about compulsory taxation in order to pay welfare."
This is not the first time Badenoch has used scripture to critique government policy. On 17 November, she quoted St Paul's advice to Timothy, asserting that "anyone who does not provide for their relatives and especially for their own household has denied the faith." She positioned her party as the "only party that is talking about limiting welfare."
Political Repercussions and Economic Analysis
Despite the significant expansion of welfare, Chancellor Reeves also pledged to pursue welfare cuts, aiming to get 15,000 people back into work through changes to Universal Credit. This is seen as an attempt to balance the demands of the Labour left, who celebrated the end of the two-child cap, with the need for fiscal responsibility. However, previous plans to cut £5bn from the welfare bill were defeated by backbench rebels earlier this year.
Financial analyst Helen Thomas, founder of Blonde Money, described the Budget as "classic Labour," during an appearance on City AM's live Budget show. She speculated that "Perhaps she thinks it saved her short-term political future," but added, "She's drawn a line today, but frankly, I don't think it's going to go very well for her."
The political spat also took a personal turn, with Badenoch criticising Reeves for comments about 'mansplaining' in her Budget speech. Badenoch later told the BBC, "We now have two bad budgets from a woman. That's not great for women. And when I stand up doing my job, I think about the impression I've got to give, and it has to be about high standards, not about my own personal achievement."
