It’s time to end blame culture over benefits bill, says Labour minister

Exclusive: Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall pledges to halt Tory salami slicing' of benefits, but Labour under fire for union pay deals

Labour will end the blame culture aimed at people out of work and will not repeat the salami slicing" of the benefits bill pursued by the Tories, the work and pensions secretary pledges today, as she warns that rising welfare spending is unsustainable.

In her first newspaper interview since taking the role, Liz Kendall told the Observer that a drastic overhaul was required to fix a broken" back-to-work system, warning that the number of people who are economically inactive was now bigger than the population of London.