Labour not looking to raise taxes to fund benefits, minister says after

Labour MPs are not looking to raise taxes to fund more benefits, the cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has said. In messages between the work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, and Peter Mandelson released on Monday, McFadden wrote: “Every meeting I have is: ‘Who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others?’ They’re asking the wrong questions.” The private WhatsApps were shared as part of a tranche of data that MPs voted to release in February relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador – from which he was subsequently sacked – including texts with ministers and senior officials.

Thomas-Symonds said the messages were “embarrassing” but were in the public domain because of the government’s commitment to comply with the humble address motion passed by parliament. He also confirmed that he had not released his own messages because his phone had been stolen, but said he had verbally described his messages with Mandelson to the Cabinet Office.

Asked about McFadden’s comments, he said it was not his experience that Labour MPs were demanding tax rises to pay for benefits, and said McFadden was committed to helping to find people more opportunities for work rather than a life on welfare. “Look, they are embarrassing.

I’m not hiding from that, but the reason they’re in the public domain is because of the government’s desire to comply with the humble address,” he said. “[McFadden’s] view has always been about an emphasis not on the benefits side, but an emphasis on giving people opportunities, and that’s why you’ve seen over the last week,” he added, referring to the recent report by the former health secretary Alan Milburn on tackling youth unemployment.

Asked about the culture in the parliamentary party of demanding more spending on benefits, Thomas-Symonds said it was “not my experience, obviously Pat is talking there about meetings he’s been in. It’s not my experience.” He added: “I don’t accept that Labour MPs, all of us together, are not determined to tackle the scourge of youth unemployment … in that work we are absolutely united as a parliamentary party.” He said that the welfare bill was also rising because of the increase in the state pension and the government’s commitment to the triple lock.