Haigh and Burghart clash over welfare bill at deputy PMQs

Key Points:

• Andy Burnham was absent from this week's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) as he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, where he plans to initiate talks on a formal UK apology for the transatlantic slave trade and propose a "debt reset" for Commonwealth nations.
• Senior cabinet minister Louise Haigh stood in for Burnham at PMQs, marking her first appearance in this role since becoming First Secretary of State; she faced Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart in a session focused heavily on welfare spending.
• The welfare bill, currently at a record £183 billion, was a key point of contention, with Haigh affirming the government's commitment to reduce it but not specifying a timeline, while Burghart accused Labour of lacking the resolve to make necessary cuts.
• Haigh emphasized the government's priority on de-escalation in the Middle East amid ongoing US-Iran tensions and highlighted the impact of the conflict on the UK cost of living crisis, responding to calls from Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper for the UK to oppose further US strikes on Iran.
• The PMQs session was noted as less intense without the prime minister present, but Haigh's role as a central figure in Burnham's cabinet and her handling of welfare and foreign policy questions drew attention to her rising influence within the government.